#To make this even better lets say Danny is also a Time Travel Baby | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

emdeerm · 3 months ago

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So, originally, I was thinking of how much the events that happen to him would impact him as Damian. But then I realised something, the events that happen to him don't have to be super traumatic to him specifically.

When he arrived to his Father’s house, Danny was, admittedly, a little worried about getting attached and not being able to leave. He didn't have much attachment towards anyone in Ra's cult tho. He wasn't fruitloopy enough to actually buy any of their teachings despite associating with Vlad.

Anyway, he whispered about his worries to Clockwork a day before he left to Bruce and thought long and hard about what to do. And well, he wasn't a Heir to the Demon for nothing. The training did bear fruits. All he had to do, is use the background the adults in his life so far were actively making for him.

He was supposed to be a child assassin that believed that he had to fight for his Father's affection and his rightful place, wasn't he? So that's what he did. He did feel very guilty regarding what he did to Tim in his first few weeks there. Stubbing him in the shoulder and then "attempting" to end him later on was going against everything Danny stood for but he had to do it.

It worked and the family, despite their attempts to connect, couldn't really see past the "Stubby baby ninja". The closest anyone had gotten, was Dick. On numerous occasions, Danny wished that they met as Danny and Dick and not when he was Damian, in fact, he found the whole family quite fun to hang around with. (He may or may not be planning on how to go about meeting them later when he becomes Danny again. Let's just say, he wasn't that successful in coming up with a plan).

He found a way to distance himself from them and stuck to it.

Damian was killed by Heretic and went to hell for a some time.

Welp, in order to actually reconnect with his ghostly side, Danny needed to die and Clockwork arranged for that. His trip to hell, which wasn’t revealed to others until he had to talk about it (not in detail mind you), was actually him going back to Infinate Realms where he spent some time catching up with his Rugues and checking the Realms over. The scary part of hell he passed through, when he was with other heroes, was just a small part of the territory he was in (if we take it post AGIT, then he knows he is a Bridge and was doing some much needed maintenance. If he's GK, then his presence there was even more understandable).

So, He was there and got revived but because it was done using Chaos Shard and not Lazarus Pits like he thought he'd be, he was back to being almost fully human with just some ghostly trates picking through (a little bit better at blending into thr shadows, some occasional intangiblity or invisibility, not much). It was... a bit disappointing.

When Bruce was lost in time, he helped Tim with finding him because he knew how to. Originally, he was going to just let Tim do his thing but then he saw just how much it took out of the teen, he couldn't do it. He just couldn't let him destroy himself over this, especially when his family wasn't believing him at all.

Damian helped Tim much to the latter's surprise.

The whole Lizard Cult Death Match debacle is also a lot less about him proving to himself that he wasn't a monster and more about the fact that he needed a sure way of becoming a Halfa again. It worked. After his first death during the Death Matches, he absorbed the ambient Ecto and was once again a freshly 14 Half Ghost.

Getting to know his crazy Grandma was an expected thing but oh well.

Learning that Pariah Dark was actively trying to escape through the Pits and wasn't just asleep was also a shock.

So since the Matches, under the pretence of finding himself like Bruce did, Damian traveled all over the world locating and closing the Pits.

He learned that Respawn was his brother and allowed himself a moment of weakness. He saved him when he was about to die and hid him with Frostbite (please, help me work this point out. I don't know enough about Respawn yet but the happiness on Damian's face when he learned that he had a Biological brother was too much not to include.)

Anyway, 16th Bday rolls around and... he leaves.

He didn't even wait for the cake or anything. (If we take it that Alfred is dead, then off. If Damian saved him because he was more skilled, then nice. You choose).

Damian left nearly everything but a few momentos behind and left. He suppressed the longing for the life he built, as dysfunctional as it was, and disappeared, fully intending not to see anyone again.

A few days later Danny was back in Amity Park and was telling his friends how he was on one heck of an adventure from Clockwork just now. Oh, and meet my new Brother.

_____

Unbeknownst to him, he was a very loved part of the Batfamily. He tried to be snobbish and rude and they bought it for the first year or so, but then he helped Tim and it started the trend of other members noticing his awkward kindness.

They loved their little Stubby brother.

They were distraught when he disappeared again. Completely disappeared. No trackers, no chips, no camera ever saw him leave (he used his Halfa powers to leave and Amity is so enveloped in Ecto, it'salmost on the line between the Realms and mortal world. Normal people arents even aware it exists).

Needless to say, they are frantic and are searching for him

Danny is reborn as Damian Wayne except he has zero plans of staying as Damien

There was an incident when Danny was 16 that caused him major injuries. in a deal with Clockwork as a way to technically rejuvenate him with no repercussions and as a way to still watch over Amity with full power. he needed to be reborn.

He is reborn back in time as Damian Wayne. Danny has to do certain things as canon events but by the time he reaches 16, he can leave and go back to Amity. which will not have even realized he has been gone.

Danny goes through all the normal plot points like being raised by the League of Assassins and going to train with his father as Robin but instead of treating it as his entire life's purpose he is treating it like a Clockwork mission. Danny has done a lot of missions where no time has changed at all between his leaving and coming back to the present so he is not very concerned.

Unfortunately for Danny he did not think of the loose ends he would leave. The bat family wakes up one morning expecting for Damien to be at breakfast only for him to not show up. They check rooms, Friends and trackers but they cannot find him.

While Danny is reuniting with his friends and about to start his senior year, the entire hero community is trying to figure out where Damian has gone.

#dpxdc #dc x dp #dp x dc #dcxdp #danny fenton #Look #i can't control plot bunnies #they took over #sorry for the long post I got carried away x.x #but yeah #Damian's adventures always had a different undertone to what we had in canon but others just weren’t aware of that #he tried to be his canon self and failed #sure he was behaving way differently to how he behaved as Danny but some Danny did peak through #*gasp*#what if his behavior and habits did change actuality and he just wasnt aware of that since it was very gradual?#no person can live 16 years in a new environment and not change #Danny wouldnt realise that until he returns #Sam and Tucker are trying to look past the fact that he changed but its VERY obvious #and they dont accept change nearly as easily as they thought they would #it's hard to see your friend as the same person when he acts and looks so differently #anyway #Bats are sad and Danny is more Damian than he thought he was #is this good parents au?#idk #your choice since both variations open up a lot of possibilities #sorry for the typos #no time to proof read

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illicitlimerence-writes · 2 years ago

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princess peach | d. ricciardo

pairing: dad!daniel ricciardo x mom!reader word count: 2.2k words request: yes, by an anon: “soooooo we need a baby ric #2 announcement fic now dont we??? its onyl right.”prompt: running around barefoot + fresh fruits from this prompt list. warnings: fluff, kids, pregnancy, my dream of living on a big farm, language. a/n: i swear to god, at least one of y’all better get my ‘rugrats’ reference bc otherwise imma feel old. also, in this fic this whole mclaren fiasco isn’t happening. just because. danny boy needs a break.

my masterlist / summer of love masterlist / this is a part two of ‘baby ric’

“you want this one?” you asked, looking at henry as he inspected the yellow lemon. he nodded, “okay, give me your hand,” you grabbed his little hand, wrapping it around the fruit, you helped him tug until it separated from the branch. he squealed in surprise, and you laughed, kissing his temple. “great job, henry! can you help me put it in the basket?” you pointed at it, and your little boy tossed it in. “good boy, my love. now let’s get three more.” you instructed, even though you knew he couldn’t comprehend what you were saying, he was only one year old.

now that you finally had some free time, you traveled to the other side of the world, to the farm you’d been working on for years to build and grow. daniel loved america, and he loved spending his time off there, to disconnect from everything and bask in the silence, it was only natural that you decided to buy some land there and build the perfect getaway. the texas heat was unforgiving, but that day was one of the good ones, it was sunny and hot, but not too much.

as usual, henry was sporting a bucket hat. his collection started growing since his first -and only- visit to the f1 paddock, the other drivers, -the younger ones, specially- started gifting henry little hats from their own merch collections. that day’s hat was flower themed.

after picking up the lemons you moved on to the apple tree. it had huge roots and large branches, the leaves gave the spot the perfect amount of shade, which made it the perfect place to sit down and just enjoy the day.

“i think these might be too tall for us, mister,” you said as you stared at the three, holding henry’s hand as he took a few steps around you. since he started walking about two months ago you had to have your eyes on him at all times, “what do you say we go find daddy?” as he heard that last word he looked up at you, making you laugh, “you like that idea?” you asked, turning around so you could walk back to the house. you looked down at henry, watching his little chubby legs on the green grass. he didn’t have shoes on, because he loved feeling the different textures as he walked, his favorite was the wooden floors of the house there in the farm. “babe?” you called as you entered, placing the basket by the door. “call for daddy,” you told henry.

“da!” henry repeated. you let go of his hand, letting him walk wherever he wanted to as you followed him. “da, da,” he kept talking. since the first time he said it, it became his favorite word.

“i hear my mini man,” you turned to the side, watching daniel walking down the stairs that led to the second floor. he walked to you, wrapping an arm around your waist as you leaned into his side. it took henry one second to waddle to you, raising his arms, wanting to be picked up. you started leaning down when dan stopped you, “careful, i’ve got him,” he grabbed henry in his arms, kissing his cheek.

“i’m okay, you know? i’m pregnant, not sick or something,” you said, running your fingers through henry’s hair,

“still, you already do so much for us, you deserve a break.”

“i don’t need a break, i need your help getting apples from the tree, don’t we, henry?” you said, grabbing dan’s hand and leading him outside, grabbing the basket on your way out.

once you got back to the tree, henry started extending his arms, ready to pick the apples he wanted. you sat against the trunk of the tree, watching them toss the fruit into the basket.

“i didn’t mean to upset you,” daniel said, sitting in front of you, as henry played with the fruits he’d collected.

“you didn’t. i know you’re looking out for me, but you’re worse than you were when i was pregnant with henry,” you raised an eyebrow, a soft smile on your face. “i am still me, i can pick up my child if he needs me,” you said, and watched him open his mouth to speak, “she’s perfectly fine, she’s safe, i can still bend down, tie my shoes, play with henry. i’m six months pregnant, not eight and a half.”

“i just… i want you, all of you to be okay.”

“i know, and i love that you worry and care so much about us, but it’s all gonna be okay. we’ll be alright.” you leaned forward, lifting a hand to his cheek and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

“i’m sorry,” he started, but you shook your head.

“no need. how about… you make it up to me by playing with your son, who’s missed you so much all week,” you grabbed henry by his middle and placed him in daniel’s arms, “while i go and was this up, make some lemonade, and cut these apples up,” it wasn’t much of a question, seeing as you stood up with the basket in your arms and started walking away as they got up.

through the kitchen window, you spotted them. daniel passed a plastic ball to henry, who tried to kick it, but lost his balance and fell on his bum. you paused cutting the apples, watching as henry started crying, but daniel helped him up, hugged him, and they started playing with the ball again. soon enough their loud chuckles invaded the whole farm.

after playing the entire afternoon, the three of you sat against the big apple tree. the shade was just perfect there, and the wind had started picking up. henry was currently holding your phone, too close to his face, daniel’s parents on the other side of the screen as they talked to their grandson. you laughed as dan took your phone from henry, moving it away from his face so he could see them, and so they could see something other than henry’s nose.

“somebody needs a diaper change,” dan said, noticing your baby boy’s focused face and his small frown.

“your turn, dad,” you said, he chuckled. after saying goodbye to his parents, your boys left you for a few minutes, coming back with two glasses of lemonade, and a sippy cup for henry.

“for you, my lady,” dan said, handing you one cup.

“thank you, love,” you smiled. you took a sip, and a few seconds later felt something weird in your belly. “looks like someone likes lemonade,” you placed a hand on your stomach, rubbing it, “come on, girl,” you whispered, wanting to feel her little kicks again.

“she’s kicking?” daniel asked, his eyes bright. you nodded, grabbing his hand and placing it where you felt her movements. “drink some more,” he suggested. after taking another sip you felt it again. “she’s got some powerful legs,” he laughed, you nodded. “come here, henry, feel this,” your baby boy stared at your hands, of course, he had no idea what was happening.

“look, henry, it’s your sister.” you said as daniel pressed henry’s hand on your belly. you drank some more lemonade, and henry looked at you both once his sister started moving. “say hi,”

“da,” henry said, making you laugh.

“say ‘hi, sis’,” daniel tried again.

“sis,” henry repeated. you gasped, since he started talking the only word he’d actually repeat was ‘da’. he’d make other noises, but when asked to talk, he’d just babble or say ‘da’.

“say that again,” you said, opening your camera app and starting recording. “say ‘hi sis’,”

“sis,” he said again, and this time you let out a loud squeal of joy.

“that was so good, henry!” daniel said, lifting him in his arms and kissing his cheek. “that’s your sister right there,” he said, placing henry’s hand back on your belly. “you two are gonna be the best of friends, i can already tell,” he continued speaking softly, you adjusted the camera to capture henry’s wide eyes as he felt his sister kicking, daniel’s bright smile, and the texas sunset of that august day.

“i must say i’m loving the attention,” you laughed, their hands on your belly felt warm, daniel was drawing invisible shapes as henry moved his hands wherever he felt the baby’s kicks.

“you deserve all of the attention, my love. your doing the most marvelous thing right now. i promise you, these next weeks we’re doing anything you want. whatever you feel like doing,”

“i just want to spend time with you. soon enough we won’t outnumber the kids in our house, i want to enjoy these weeks being just us three.”

the next morning, you woke up to an empty bed. neither dan nor henry were inside the house. you took a quick shower, figuring they must be outside, playing. once you changed into a large, flowy dress and skipped the shoes, you stepped outside. you walked to the area where you had all of the fruit trees and where the vegetables were growing, but they weren’t there, either. you grabbed your phone, calling daniel.

he didn’t pick up, didn’t need to, you heard the ringtone nearby. you walked that way, seeing them sitting a few meters away from the creek.

“good morning, you two,” you said as you walked to them, avoiding the muddy spots.

“da!” henry yelled as he saw you, you sat next to them, kissing henry’s cheek.

“what were you doing?” you asked, helping henry climb onto your lap.

“we picked up some peaches, came down here to wash them. he liked them,” dan smiled, you ran your hand through his hair, “we saved you some,” he pointed to the same basket you’d used yesterday, inside there sat some peaches and an apple.

“thank you,” you smiled, “this little miss and i are hungry, we skipped breakfast to come look for you boys,”

“aw, sweets,” daniel said, you shrugged. “henry and i were going to play tag for a bit, care to join us?” he asked, you shook your head.

“you boys go ahead, i’ll stay here a bit, yeah?” you passed henry to daniel, who leaned forward to kiss you. henry had enough of it, splitting the two of you apart, which made you laugh. “okay, mister. no need to be rude, you can go now.” you grabbed henry’s hand, and moved so he tapped daniel’s shoulder, “you’re it, dad. run, henry, go!” you cheered for your boy, who ran to the other side of the field, his bare feet guiding him away from his father, who chased after him.

you grabbed one of the peaches from the basket, taking a small bite. the baby liked it. you smiled as you grabbed your phone, taking a picture of the peach in your hand, and your belly.

you uploaded the picture to your instagram, which was filled with pictures of henry.

‘princess peach’ you captioned it.

the world knew you were pregnant, you’d been with daniel for the last race before break, in budapest, and you knew it was inevitable for pictures to come out. now they knew that you were having a baby girl coming in a few months.

after eating some of the fruit your had picked out for you, you lay down on the grass, looking up at the sky. it was so blue, and the clouds were so white, it was almost unreal.

“da, da,” you heard henry, you lifted your head, looking around for him.

“look what we found,” daniel said, helping you sit up. he handed something to henry, you extended your hand, and henry handed you a flower.

“oh, it’s so pretty! look, henry, it matches your shirt!” he was wearing a yellow button-up shirt, “here,” you placed the stem inside the little pocket, the petals sticking out. “you look so handsome, my darling boy.” you kissed his cheek, lying back down on the grass, placing henry next to you.

“what were you doing?” daniel asked as he imitated your position.

“finding shapes in the clouds,” you chuckled. “wanna play?” you asked, looking to your side, and noticed henry was falling asleep.

“the best one wins,”

“loser is on diaper duty for a week,” you grinned, raising your eyebrows.

“oh, it’s on. he ate so many peaches today, i do not want to clean that up,” you chuckled, and nodded. henry rolled to his side, and daniel placed him on top of him, moving so he was pressed up next to you. “that’s a dragon,” he pointed up to the sky, you nodded. looking around to look for another one.

“starting off strong, i like it. let’s see if you can keep it up,” you smirked, already spotting the perfect one. “that’s reptar.” you pointed to the dinosaur from one of your favorite childhood cartoons.

“holy shit,” dan said after a few seconds, spotting it. “it’s identical.”

“i know. can you beat that?”

you spent about fifteen minutes waiting for daniel to find something better than yours.

“have fun changing diapers, daddy. princess peach and i appreciate it,” you chuckled as you pecked his lips.

@idkiwantchocolatee @yeolsbubbles

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snackleggg · 3 years ago

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It wasn't hard, in that moment

~~~

Angsty one shot without a happy ending. Sometimes hate can blind you to the simplest things.

~~~

This couldn't be happening.

There was no way this was happening.

But the screen didn't change as Maddie and Jack Fenton stared at the news on their TV.

" -and with all this in mind the government has not only decided to revoke the Anti-ecto act but to also give ghosts and other ectoplasmic entities that fall under that category basic civil rights. The GIW and several other unethical ghost hunting organisations are being shut down as a result and the government will soon be moving onto the inspection of smaller groups and individuals that have shown excessive malice towards these beings-" The news reporter continued on but Maddie couldn't really listen to anything else they were saying.

She didn't think it would ever get this out of hand. At first it had been small things, the impressionable and naive children of Casper high supporting that menace Phantom. Then when word of ghosts being real spread to the rest of the world other groups supporting them and their rights as people started popping up.

Now the Anti-ecto laws were not only taken down but new laws protecting the scum were put up. How did this happen?

A growl escaped Maddie "Phantom".

Of course that evil menace had to be up to this. He and his ghost pals must have mind controlled government officials. Now Fenton works would undoubtedly be inspected and shut down considering the new Ectoplasmic Protection Act.

They had to work fast Maddie decided.

If they could destroy Phantom then whatever ghostly hold he had over the government would disappear and they would all come to their senses.

Maddie stood up and started stomping her way down the stairs. She didn't even notice Jack continuing to watch the news as they interviewed some ghosts on what they thought about the situation. She didn't even notice how Jazz was standing proudly at the top of the stairs or the suspicious look Jazz threw her way when she had left.

With her new urgency it wasn't hard for her to finish a project they had in the works for a while. Her and Jack had kept it top secret so that the scum couldn't somehow find out and destroy it like they did with some of their other brilliant inventions.

The Fenton Ghost Filter was about to get a test run on the local menace.

Unlike something like the Ghost Grabber or a Ghost Shield, the Ghost Filter didn't filter ghosts from an object or just force them away. It filtered them from existence. Separating all their ectoplasm down to the molecular bond, they would become nothing but air.

It wasn't hard to find the menace. He had just finished sucking another ghost into a Fenton Thermos, Maddie still couldn't figure out where he had got his hands on one. It wasn't hard to get his attention and expertly lie about her intentions, about seeing the news and understanding how wrong she had been, about how she wanted to speak to him and make a truce.

The words were bitter on her tongue and it took everything in her to keep her expression of friendliness up and not let any venom or disgust leak into her voice.

He was obviously still cautious when he approached her. He carried himself with the air of someone ready to bolt at the slightest sign of danger. Of course Maddie would never give him that chance.

The moment he was in close enough where she knew she wouldn't miss she pulled out her newest invention. She saw the moment he realised what she was about to do, the moment he realised she had lied and the moment he realised that even with his speed he wouldn't be able to dodge in time.

Maddie saw the fear in Phantom's acid green eyes.

She smiled.

She was proud to be the cause of that fear.

She pulled the trigger.

Time seemed to slow down after Phantom collapsed. Not in the good way either.

It wasn't the same kind of slow as when she was about to shoot him, when she was savouring that moment, that victory.

At first it was caused by confusion.

Why hadn't he been torn apart instantly? Maybe she had gotten something wrong in her rush to finish it? Maybe a calculation had been off?

Then white rings appeared around Phantom's waist and travelled up his body.

She was tense. Was this a new power? A new attack? Thanks to those damn new laws it would be seen as self defense if he attacked her now.

Then when the rings of white light disappeared her son was left there on the ground. He was screaming.

Over the years Maddie had learned to ignore the screams of ghosts, they were all just ploys to gain her sympathy of the emotionless creatures. The screams of ghosts had become white noise to her, nothing more than a passing irritation.

But infront of her right now was not a ghost but her son. Her baby boy. He was screaming. He was in pain.

The mother in her wanted to run over to her boy right then and try and make him feel better, comfort him and make his pain stop.

The ghost hunter in her, the part of her that had been driving her every action up until that point, whispered in her ear how this was a trap. Phantom was trying to trick her like always, trying to gain her sympathy by making himself look like her son.

The two sides were at war, and so Maddie was frozen.

Then time seemed to snap back into gear, moving fast now like a rushing river.

Someone ran past her, towards Danny (Phantomphantomphantom). It took her a moment to realise it was Jazz. She was quickly followed by Danny's two friends, Sam and Tucker.

They were all panicking. All calling out to Danny, asking what was wrong, asking what happened and what they should do. Reassuring him that everything was going to be okay, though it sounded like they were trying to convince themselves just as much as they were trying to convince him.

The entire time Maddie could barely hear them over the screams, over her son's (Phantom's) screams.

Then it all stopped.

The screams cut off abruptly, like the plug being pulled from a TV.

Danny (Phantom that's Phantom it's Phantom) fell limp.

Sam was crying, Maddie had never seen her cry before. She was always such a strong girl.

Tucker seemed to be franctically looking for a plus, both on Danny's wrist and neck.

Jazz was-

Maddie felt like she had been slapped when she looked at Jazz.

Jazz was staring at her- no, glaring.

There was so much in that glare.

Jazz had always expressed a lot of emotion through her eyes, she could never really hide what she was feeling if you looked her in the eyes.

There was rage, and sadness and- what Maddie didn't want to admit looked like hatred. Unshed tears sat in the corners of her eyes as she glared at Maddie like she had just taken everything from her.

Then her eyes trailed back to Danny's (Phantom's) limp form.

He wasn't breathing. He was still, too still.

His eyes closed from when they had been screwed shut in pain.

Tucker was now also crying, he had stopping looking for a pulse.

Maddie felt bile rise to the back of her throat as she replayed the events in her head.

Maddie saw the fear in Phantom's acid green eyes. (She didn't need to try hard to imagine those same eyes as blue- sky blue like the day the baby in her arms opened his eyes and she swore to always protect him)

She smiled. (That's the last thing he saw, her smiling. Smiling because she was about to kill hurt him)

She was proud to be the cause of that fear. (She caused that fear. Her own baby was afraid of her, and she had been proud of that)

She pulled the trigger. (She pulled the trigger, she shot him, she hurt him, she killed him)

"Tragedy struck today as Amity park's local ghostly hero Phantom, whose identity was revealed to be Damiel Fenton, was killed by none other than Madeline Fenton. It has been a common fact in the town of Amity for many years that the adult Fentons have harboured a, at times, unreasonable hatred to ghostly entities. While not all the details are yet known, the broader strokes of the story are that after the government's public declaration of the Ectoplasmic Protection Act yesterday Madeline Fenton decided to act out to destroy Phantom who she and her husband had claimed to be a menace multiple times. Taking a, as of yet unidentified, weapon and lulling Phantom into a false sense of security around her before she shot him and subsequently killed him. When he died his identity was revealed to be that of her own son who, we are told, after an accident involving their prized invention, the ghost portal, became part ghost and took personal responsibility for making sure that Amity park was safe from those who wished to harm it. Madeline Fenton is being charged with first degree murder and there is currently much debate on whether Jasmine Fenton should be removed from Jack Fenton's custody-" The news reporter went on.

Jack couldn't focuse on the TV anymore. His sobs having grown too loud to be able to hear what was being said.

His wife was going to be sent to prison.

His daughter hated them both.

His son was dead.

His son had died nearly two years ago and they hadn't noticed. They hadn't questioned his strange behaviour, the falling grades, the breaking curfew. They hadn't seen their son when they looked at Phantom, hadn't recognised him.

Then his son died again, by their invention again.

He was a terrible father.

He was a terrible person.

#danny phantom #danny phantom fic #angst #hurt no comfort #danny fenton #Maddie Fenton #jack fenton #jazz fenton #sam manson #tucker foley #dp fic #my writing

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robinasnyder · 7 months ago

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What I love about this most isn't the normal time travel stuff I love, like future knowledge, but the damn skill gap between the first time Bruce was Batman and now. Because he knows so much, so much that he actually postpones Batman for a month to do some upgrades.

He spends two full days overhauling the Batcomputer to make it a lot closer to what he used to have. He added a ton of notes about what he could remember to the computer the second it was done. He entirely redid his Batsuit so it was stronger, more reinforced and better for his non-fucked up body while also providing extra support for say, his knees and back.

He's actually got a decent work-life balance compared to last time because he has a baby to raise. He'd already started on the playboy bit the moment he got back, and it's super easy to roll into "playboy suddenly has a kid" and just be a dotting father in the press, even if he still pulls dumb shenanigans occasionally.

For a couple months, most of his detective work is just finding out the locations and getting proof bc he doesn't have to investigate what he already knows. He's working more on the police situation and trusts Gordon immediately this time.

He knows about members of the JL but just chooses to not deal with it. They can handle themselves. They did last time.

When Danny is two and suddenly Superman's made his debut, Batman takes a trip to Metropolis to introduce himself. He's kind to Superman, friendly. He tells him to stay out of Gotham unless Batman calls for him, but that Batman will come if he needs help and gives him his number and a JL comm (or what will become a JL comm when the JL comes into existence) .

Superman is so excited and happy, and Bruce lets him in on his identity early. The two even pretend to date for a bit so that Clark can hang out more often.

Danny starts to develop his ghost powers at three.

Superman moves in for a few years to try and help contain Danny's abilities so no one finds out.

Bruce takes Danny and Clark to see Haly's circus when Danny is four. He plans to rescue Dick's parents. Or he means to have Clark do it. He doesn't care how it gets done.

Clockwork freezes him and Clark so that he can't do anything but watch it happen. Clockwork says something about how it's no good to change every event, something Clark hears. Bruce can't give him an explanation immediately because there's a crying, devastated child and Bruce has to help.

He got himself approved to foster ages back, just in case. It's so important for Bruce to be prepared, now more than ever. He's grateful for his foreknowledge, foresight, and paranoia.

Dick never goes anywhere but the hospital, police station and then right to Wayne Manor.

It takes a few days, but eventually, Bruce does explain to Clark what's going on. And he tells him *everything*. He tells Clark about the Justice League, about how Superman dies and comes back, about Conner, about Jon, about Lois. He tells him about Bruce's children, the fights where they stood against each other for, and the ones they fought side by side. All of it comes out.

And then he talks about Clockwork and the deal. And the fact that Clockwork had intervened, which means there are some things that just will happen, and Bruce won't be able to stop it. But he's always going to try.

Dick still becomes Robin, still needs to fight. But he has a new grandfather and two new foster parents and a little brother who calls him "Dididididididi" as he follows along behind him.

Dick is 9, and Danny is 5 when the Justice League forms.

If Bruce was able to beat the JL before when he was still new to all of them, at this point it's easy. He knows them too well. He knows their weaknesses and strengths. Barry and Ollie think he may be a god. Clark tells them about Nightwing, the Kryptonian god of justice and darkness. And then people *really* think Batman is a god, just an alien god. (When Dick takes up the name Nightwing, this doesn't help those rumors at all.)

It suits his purposes.

After a few meetings, Batman calls Captain Marvel to Gotham. He tells him straight out that he knows who he is, he knows he's 9, and also that his own son is 9. He'd always known Billy Batson was small as a child, but seeing him de-transformed, standing on top of Wayne Tower, well, it about kills him.

He takes Billy home, offers him a home or at least safe houses in Fawcett so he can still protect his city, but he doesn't have to be homeless.

Gotham has a lot of unexplained lightnight strikes for about 6 months until Zatara can properly teach Billy how to open teleportation circles.

Billy and Dick get on like a house on fire. Billy thinks Dick's acrobatic skills and self confidence is so cool, and he wants to be just like him. And Dick respects Billy's magic and wishes he could be respected like an adult the way Billy is.

When Billy and Dick are 11 and Danny is 7, Clark finally moves back to Metropolis. All of the boys are heartbroken, but there's no changing it. Clark's in love and wants to marry Lois soon. Clark continues to sleep over two nights a week and is over every day for a little while. This lessens with time, but he never stops being over for multiple hours a week.

Dick starts the Teen Titans when he's 13. Bruce does everything he can to support this endeavor.

When Dick turns 18, he moves out. Bruce tried, but he still has a temper, and so does Dick. Bruce does manage to continue to offer gear. He doesn't ban Dick from coming home. He sends a batch of sweets to Dick's apartment every week. He doesn't try and make him go to college (that much). It's not great, but it's a lot better.

Billy moves out at 18 as well. Because of the way heroing calls him away, he does online classes so he can go at his own pace. He comes home a couple times a week to bake with Alfred and play with his little brother. He doesn't talk to Bruce much, having taken Dick's side in the fight. Plus, Billy is old enough to care for his own city, too. If it weren't for Danny and Alfred, he might not come home at all. (Or at least that's what Bruce is afraid of.)

That same year, in October, Danny wakes up screaming in agony. He remembers how he died. He's starting to get his memories back. And all those powers he had on lock start to go haywire.

One month later, Bruce finds Jason jacking the Batmobile tires.

"Please," he whispers to Clockwork, "does he have to die this time?"

The only answer he gets?

"We'll see."

He brings Jason home.

He calls Dick. He calls Billy. He calls Clark.

He finally lets Dick and Billy in on his big secret. He doesn’t ask them to come home. He tells Dick that he is going to give Jason Robin. He doesn't think he has a choice this time.

He doesn't tell them Jason dies. He doesn't tell them that Clockwork blocked his memories of Jason until he saw him again, so he couldn't try to save Jason's mother. He doesn't tell them about all of their siblings and friends.

Clark heard everything. Besides Bruce, Clark is the only one who knows the full truth. He's also the only one who's been held hostage by Clockwork's machinations.

Bruce couldn't tell the boys everything, as in literally was unable to tell his boys all of it.

He doesn't ask them to come home. He tells them even if he didn't know already what great heroes they were, that he'd know because of everything they've shown them up until that moment. He does ask them to help him with Danny's powers and Jason's abandonment issues.

Neither older boy is happy. But they're smart enough and knowledgeable enough to know that there isn't much arguing with Father Time.

Dick's still bitter about Bruce giving away Robin. Bruce manages to whisper to him that many more people wore the title, and that it was a beautiful legacy, something built on Dick Grayson and his parent's love. It helps the sting.

Jason loves Danny. Danny's grieving a whole life he lost and everyone he loved. He's 14, he's moody and angry and quiet in a way he's never been before. It frightens Bruce. But when Jason's around, Danny loves on him so much. He's two years older than Jason and loves him so much.

Jason still runs away at 15. In the weeks before It's like Jason's having arguments with Bruce that Bruce isn't even a part of. Bruce is begging Clockwork every night to please, this time, let me save him. Please don't make him die.

Jason dies anyway.

Bruce holds his son's dead body and weeps. Clockwork appears at his side.

"Can I have him back sooner?"

"Yes."

"When? Can I just keep his body on ice?"

"No. He needs to be in the ground for it to work."

"Can I find him right after?"

"No."

"Can I find him before he comes back?"

"No."

"What can I do? What use am I?"

"Care for your children. Be patient."

Bruce is just as destroyed as the first time, even knowing Jason will be back. He doesn't bother trying to go after the Joker this time. Clark stays with him, going back and forth between his job and Gotham for a few weeks. He reaches out to the Green Lanterns to try and bring Dick home for the funeral. He's the one who holds Billy when he can't keep up a brave face for Bruce and Danny. He's the one who makes dinner when Alfred can't make himself move for those few days.

Danny is nearly catatonic. He's 17, and his one friend is dead. He'd closed himself off from everyone at school years back. The only person he let in was Jason. And then Jason died horribly, brutally, and practically at Clockwork's hand. Danny doesn't go back to school. He drops out by proxy. Bruce has to help him do everything for a little while. Even when Danny manages to be able to care for himself again, he's so quiet.

Billy, Dick and Clark leave, go back to their lives. Alfred pulls himself together but seems more like a ghost in the manor. (Or better to say that Bruce and Danny are the ghosts, and Alfred can't reach them to help them).

It takes a couple of months, but finally, Danny opens up to Bruce. His silence breaks, and all his fears spill out as gut-wrenching sobs and admissions.

He talks about Dan and the first time he met Clockwork. He talks about everyone he loves dying, him turning evil and killing everyone. When Bruce points out that Vlad doesn't even exist in this universe, that Danny can't become Dan, Danny tells him that he's already older and stronger now than Dan ever was. In his own world, Danny didn't get to exist beyond barely 16. This is the oldest he's ever been.

Danny goes back to his silence, but it's not as heavy. Bruce telling him about how many universes he's seen where Bruce turned evil does help.

Bruce breaks down one evening after beating a couple of muggers far too hard. He hates himself, knows he's better than this, knows what Tim gave up to help him be better, knows that Jason will come back to them, so why can't he keep himself together? Why does this hurt worse somehow? Is it because he knows everything Jason's going to suffer now? Is it because he still can't give Jason what he needs?

That's when a tiny hand grabs onto his gloved hand. There's blood on his glove from the men he'd beaten to the point that Bruce is afraid to check if they're even bleeding. It soils the small hand that squeezes his fingers so tightly.

"I've called the ambulance. We need to go," Tim says to him. "They'll survive, but the police can't see you like this. People can't see you like this."

Batman kidnaps Tim Drake that night. They're both soaked with rain when they arrive to the Batcave. Bruce has to pull off his gloves so he doesn't get blood on the towels, and still has to be careful after that. He gets Tim bundled up, and goes to shower and change.

The surprise on Tim's face when he emerges isn't because he doesn't know who Batman is, but because he couldn't believe Bruce wasn't hiding who he was. But Bruce is so tired of his life and so sick with his own disgust and so, so weak.

"I know who you are. I know you knew who I was. I know you're about to go bother Dick and ask him to be Robin again. It won't work. I know you'll come back here and take Robin instead, because Batman needs a Robin and I'm not able to control myself the way I should be right now. No, I haven't seen you before tonight, even though I've known you're there. You're still my sneakiest child and Damian was raised by ninjas and Danny doesn't need to breath or walk or use doors."

Tim's stunned. He's never heard of Damian, for one. For another, how did Batman know all that?

"Do you have future sight?" Tim asks like the clever boy he is.

"Time Travel," Bruce said. "You were my Robin for a few years, and then you took your own mantel. But you've always been one of my sons. I'm somewhat bound by the contract I signed that let me have a second chance. I'm sorry I couldn't get you before now. I'm sorry you've been alone for so long."

Tim doesn't fall into his arms and sob, but Bruce knows he wants to. He does move into the Manor the next day, and he doesn't move out. Bruce doesn't let Tim live alone this time. He'll make up charges if he had to in order to sever the Drakes' claim to Tim and keep him as his own. He needs Tim too much.

For once, Danny's the one who's pissed. He's pissed because all he sees is Bruce replacing Jason. It's almost laughable, really, hearing Danny shouting the same things (almost verbatim) that Jason shouted at him so many times when he came back.

Danny leaves and he doesn't come back. None of them can contact him. Tim is crushed and offers to leave, apologizes for ruining everything. Bruce holds him for the first time in this world and promises him that isn't true, that Danny's grieving and he doesn't mean it like that.

They don't see Danny again for two years.

Clark's died by that point, and Clark's come back. Superboy's been found. It's cute watching Tim be smitten with the other boy, in a pulling pigtails kind of way.

Clark's prepared for Superboy this time. He accepts him immediately, offers him a place with his wife and son. He tries to help. The two are actually close this time. Bruce is grateful for that. Clark's doing better learning from the past than Bruce is.

One day, not long after Danny's 20th birthday, he shows up through a rip in the fabric of reality. In his arms are a nearly rabid Jason and a surprisingly calm Damian.

"Dad, take this one. Jay and I need to fight this out."

"Try not to break anything important or disturb the bats."

"Got it!" Danny chirps with a wide grin. He's gotten so big. He's not that quiet, broken teenager anymore. He's a man, an adult, and bright and happy the way he was before he got his memories back at 14.

Bruce doesn't know what happened, but Danny's better than before. And Bruce is holding Damian, who's even smaller than he remembers.

"B, what even?" Tim asks, half in and half out of his Robin suit, too stunned to finish changing one direction or the other.

"Meet your little brother, Damian," Bruce says.

"The one raised by ninjas?" Bruce didn't talk about Cass, Damian, or Duke. But he'd let slip about Damian once, and, like always, Tim never forgets.

Damian immediately starts talking about the League and his whole thing about being the blood son. Bruce places a hand over his little mouth, stopping him before he gets too far. Damian's even younger and his eyes fill with fear he can't quite hide.

"I love you all equally. I've been wanting to meet you again, Habibi. It's been too many years since I last held you. At least for me."

"You met me?" The question Damian's really asking is "why did you leave me?"

"In another life," Bruce tells him. "You were a strong partner and one of my beloved children. I'm grateful I get you two years earlier this time."

Damian, who's confused, but who's grandfather is practically immortal, rolls with it and just lets Bruce hold him while they watch Danny poke and prod and goad Jason, flying and staying *just* out of reach. He keeps it up until Jason's suddenly flying too. Jason's nearly frothing at the mouth with rage when Danny starts to lead him on a chase, but the more he flies, the more Danny coaxes him to use ghost powers, the more Jason relaxes.

That's how Bruce learns that the crap that makes up a Lazarus Pit is ectoplasm, and that Jason isn't the same as Danny, but he's halfa too.

When the fight finally ends, and his middle sons land nearby, Bruce hands Damian to Tim and goes and grabs Jason into a bone breaking hug. Jason ends up sobbing into his shoulder before it's all over.

Danny has to take Damian from Tim before he gets too squirmy. And while Bruce is focused on Jason, Danny gives Tim a heartfelt and sincere apology for everything he said. He was hurt and angry, and Tim didn't do anything wrong, and in fact, it seems like he held the family together really well.

Bruce hears about this from Tim later, who's so excited and proud to be recognized for the work he's dond. It hurts Bruce because he knows he leans on Tim too much. It hurts that even Danny can see it. Bruce suggests Tim ask Danny about his old life. After all, Danny knows a few things about having to hold a situation and a group of people, which is and who are, rapidly unraveling and pulling at the seams.

Jason finally gets an explanation, about Bruce's experience in his old life, about the way Bruce failed before, about the way Bruce tried and begged and pleaded and bargained, trying to save Jason, or not bring him into the situation. About Jason having the arguments he had with the Bruce he was before that the current Bruce wasn't participating in. He talks to him about Red Hood and their family and his knowledge that Jason probably does need to go back to Crime Alley and that he is a force for good and that Bruce loves him.

It's healing for both of them.

Jasom stays for a month before he leaves. He lets Dick and Billy constantly hug him and ruffle his hair. He follows Danny around like a duckling all over again. He carries Damian around on his shoulders. He cracks jokes with Tim.

They can't stay like that, but it's a good time.

Bruce refuses to let Damian have Robin at 8. Tim's got it for at least another two, three or four years, thank you very much. Dick, seeing the same trouble he saw last time, takes Damian as his sidekick in Bludhaven. It's not Robin, not yet. But Bruce is grateful, because Damian and Dick's relationship was always so special.

Danny and Bruce talk. Danny gets everything on Cass, Steph and Duke, and collects them early. Bruce couldn't save Barbara from the Joker. He couldn't stop Harvey from becoming Two-Face, he couldn't keep Harley away from the Joker. He couldn't stop people from becoming who they were before. But he could help them sooner, encourage them with what he knew. For instance, he could help Harley and Ivy meet. He could try to talk to Harley about healthy relationships. He could offer understanding that was more pointed. He could save lives he hadn’t managed to before.

He could help.

His body had been honed to a sharp knife back in the old world. But with the amount of experience and skill Bruce started with this second time, the injuries he was able to avoid, he was a much more effective hero.

Then the worst came, the threat that killed so many, including Bruce’s entire family. Well, this time, there isn't the same type of distrust. There's no hesitation.

When Billy's voice is stolen by a magical enemy, he's able to fight in other ways, and manages to steal it back and defeat his foe, when he'd simply been killed before.

When the invasion happens in Crime Alley, Steph and Tim are right there with Jason. None of them die alone like they did before. None of them die at all.

When the monster drags Bludhaven into the ocean, Dick and Damian had already been evacuating people for a while. They aren't trapped with everyone else when the city sinks. They're able to rush back to Gotham when Tim calls for help.

When the invader nearly rips Superman in two, his two sons are there, and able to rescue him so that the three of them can defeat their enemy together.

When Darkseid arrives, Danny is at Bruce’s side, willing and able to be a hero when he's shied away from it before. Bruce gets to see just how powerful Danny really is.

It ends in death. It ends in victory.

There are casaulties, people Bruce cared about. But this time is family is alive, and bigger than before. Bruce grieves the loss of life, but for once he accepts that he did everything he could, that there's only so much he could do, that he saved so many lives, that he's just a man. And he accepts that he can be okay with that.

The heroes have lost.

Superman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam are dead. The only thing that’s kept Batman alive was his wit, but that’s not enough.

His wit didn’t save his children.

His wit didn’t save Alfred.

His wit didn’t stop the world from burning.

He’s become desperate for a miracle. He had never been desperate before, but all hope had been lost. He was one of the last teams of heroes that had survived the initial onslaught. He had no contingency plans, nothing he could invent. No weapon, no weakness.

His desperate plea was so strong it went through the fabric of the dimensions. Clockwork, who normally had no intention of looking into that dimension, decided to look at the timeline. He didn’t like what he saw, so he appeared before Bruce Wayne in the middle of the night. After a brief discussion, he decided to send Bruce back in time.

When Bruce opened his eyes next, he scrambled to find the date. He almost laughed in relief when he realized that this was the day he had become Batman. The day he had first donned the cowl. He was over twenty years in the past, and he still had the knowledge of what had brought the timeline to the brink of disaster last time.

Clockwork gave him a gift. A son named Danny, to be raised by Bruce. The boy was a newborn infant, with a head full of black hair and startling blue eyes. He didn’t know what Danny’s backstory was, or why Clockwork had possession of the infant, but he wasn’t going to ask questions. His world was safe, and he had another chance to prevent the end of the world twenty years early.

He would love his son as if he was his own flesh and blood. Then he would be the best Batman the world had ever seen.

#dc #danny phantom #dc x dp #dcxdp #dpxdc #batman #my writing

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kinglazrus · 4 years ago

Text

Not Your Danny – Ch 1. Moving Day

Phic Phight | Next | FFN | AO3

Submitted by @ecto-american: After Danny’s untimely death, his family and friends turn to Dani for comfort. She was so much like him in every single way. And she never felt more like a clone. A replacement for the “real” thing.

Summary: Maddie and Jack learn a lot of things about their son after his death: his powers, his secret life as the local hero, the truth behind his accident three years ago. And his clone who is so much like their boy. When Dani gets the offer to join their home, she thinks it's too good to be true. And she just might be right.

Word count: 2761

Two weeks after Danny dies, Danielle moves into his bedroom. It's a lacklustre affair. Dani has no belongings to bring with her, except the few trinkets stuffed in the pockets of her shorts. She only owns one pair of clothes, two of you want to be technically and count her ghost form. But that's tenuous at best when you consider the circumstances of her creation, and that her clothes were created withher, not given to her. She doesn't like to think about that too much, though.

Neither of Danny's parents are home for the occasion. Dani doesn't blame them. Her face time with Maddie and Jack Fenton over the past three years equals an hour at most—hour and a half if she really pushes it. And most of that time was with an ectogun between them. If she counts the times where she hasn't been staring down a glowing green barrel, then it's probably only five minutes, maybe less. And that only happened a few days ago.

Suffice to say, Dani and the Fentons don't have a good relationship, or a relationship of any kind. So she doesn't blame them for being out of the house when their dead son's clone, who they only recently found out about, takes over his bedroom. Although take over might be too strong of a phrase.

Dani floats next to Jazz, hovering in front of Danny's open bedroom door.

"Is it... okay?" Jazz asks.

Dani drifts inside, turning her head from side to side as she looks around. She likes the blue walls, and the open brick on the outer wall is kind of cool. The bed, covered in a purple bead spread, topped with a fluffy pillow, looks softer than anything she's ever slept on. The room is nice, if a bit messy with Danny's stuff still inside. Posters decorate the wall, some about space, others from some band called Dumpty Humpy. The shelves are stuffed full of books and model spaceships. His dirty clothes lie next to an open hamper in the corner of the room.

The sight surprises Dani more than anything.

"What are you gonna do with his stuff?" she asks. "Do people usually just," she gestures toward the room, "leave it like this?"

"What? No." Jazz shakes her head and quickly wipe her hand across her eyes. "When someone dies, their family or friends eventually pack their stuff away. Not always right away, though."

"Two weeks isn't long enough?"

Jazz's breath hitches. "Don't– don't say that. It's inconsiderate."

Dani's cheeks go hot at Jazz's admonishing tone. "Oh. Sorry." She floats further into the room, if only to escape the awkward air settling between them.

If Dani didn't know any better, she would guess that Danny had just stepped outside for a second and would be back any moment. Lowering herself to the floor, Dani settles on the carpet and walks toward the desk. A controller of some kind sits on the desk chair, its cord tangled with a headset. Dani picks the controller up and turns it over in her hand. She only vaguely recognizes the X logo in the middle of it; her travels over the past couple of years haven't exactly involved a lot of gaming. Or any.

There was a small handheld system she picked up at a garage sale once. She carried it for a few months but lost it somewhere along the way.

Dani tosses the controller onto the chair and turns back to Jazz. "So, now what?"

"Well, if you're not comfortable with Danny's things still being in here, we can get some boxes and start packing. I think we have some in the basement. If you want." Jazz tacks on the last three words with a soft voice.

"No, it's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, course." It's just stuff, after all. Dani doesn't quite get it, which also means she doesn't care. If the Fentons don't want to move Danny's stuff yet, then it can stay. He was their son before he was Dani's cousin/DNA source.

"Okay. I guess I'll just... let you get settled, then. I have to work on some plans for the memorial, but Mom and Dad should be home in a couple hours. They said they wouldn't be gone long," Jazz says.

Dani nods. A few seconds of silence pass, and once it's obvious that neither of them is going to say anything more, Jazz turns and walks down the hall. Finally alone, Dani lets her ghost form fall away. The transformation rings prickle as their bright light ghosts over her skin, and when it fades, she's left in her typical shorts and hoodie. Dani rubs her arms until the prickling fades, then flops onto the bed.

Damn. It really is the softest thing she's ever lain on. And the blankets are warm. They smell like Danny, too. That's something Dani never thought she would think. She didn't even realize Danny had a smell, but it's hard to ignore now. It's not the most tangible smell. The best word Dani can find to describe it is crisp, like a cold day. She would bet her beanie that it was because of his ice powers, an ability they had never shared.

Dani shakes her head. Everything is weird enough right now. The last thing she needs to be contemplating is how Danny used to smell. It's also, like, a super creepy line of thought, yeah? Yeah.

As she stares up at the ceiling, a blur of movement catches her eye. Her gaze jumps toward it, in the corner of the bedroom closest to the door. A small brown lump clings to the ceiling. A bug, no doubt. Dani can't tell what kind, and she doesn’t care enough to find out. It's not too surprising, considering how messy Danny's room is. There's probably some old pizza hiding under his bed or something.

Dani rolls onto her side and closes her eyes. A little bug doesn't bother her, not after the places she's slept. And if the Fentons won't be home for a while, and Jazz is busy, she might as well take advantage of her new bed and the next few hours to get some shuteye. God knows she needs it.

—

Maddie feels sorry for Vlad's receptionist. She bears a striking resemblance to Maddie herself, with short auburn hair just a touch redder than Maddie's own, a curvy frame, and a sharp, pointed chin. She's even wearing blue, bless her heart. The girl is pretty, and young, and kind. Can't be too far out of high school, and hoping a job at the mayor's office will look good on her resume. Maddie hopes it pays off. The girl deserves it for putting up with Vlad daily. Working for him seems to be taking a toll on her, judging by the distressed look in her eyes when she looks up from Vlad's appointment book.

"I'm sorry, there's no appointment for you. I don't know if I can let you in," she says.

Maddie sighs. "Mr. Masters left me a message"—or several—"asking me to come in."

"I'm really sorry, but he didn't mention expecting you... oh no." The receptionist's eyes widen and she starts digging through papers on her desk. "Did I forget to write it down again? He got so upset last time."

Maddie reaches out and touches her shoulder, stopping the frantic search. "It's all right, dear. It's not your fault."

She suspected, when Vlad left numerous messages on her cellphone rather than calling the house, that something more was up. How Vlad even got her cellphone number she doesn't want to know. She will also be changing it very soon thanks to this incident.

"He's particular about his meetings," the receptionist says. "I really can't let you in."

"Just let him know I'm here, and I'll take care of the rest."

The receptionist nods. While she goes for the phone, Maddie steps away from the desk and turns back to the waiting area. It's empty besides her and the receptionist—not surprising this early on a Monday, and all the better for Maddie. She pulls her cellphone from her purse and checks the time; It's just after eight. Dani is due at Fenton Works soon, but Maddie and Jack won't be back until noon, at least. The reminder makes her wince.

Missing half of Dani's first day at home isn't ideal, but Maddie wants to get this meeting over with as fast as possible. They had other plans in the city, anyway, made before they invited Dani into their home. Better to get everything done at once.

Maddie eyes plush waiting room armchairs, wondering if there's any point in sitting down, when the receptionist calls out, "Mrs. Fenton?"

Maddie opens her mouth to answer, but her phone—still in her hand—buzzes at that moment. Jack's name stretches across the screen. "Excuse me." She steps toward the elevators on the far side of the room and turns her back to the receptionist, the closest semblance of privacy she can get, before answering her phone. "Hey, Jack. Is your meeting done already?"

"Not even close! How goes the shopping?"

"Fine so far. I forgot we didn't ask...." She tenses, feeling the receptionist's stare at her back. "We didn't ask what she might need, so I'm just grabbing the basics. Do you want me to pick something up for you? Are you waiting on the park board?"

"About that... I'm with them now, and—what day did we settle on for the memorial, again?"

Maddie shakes her head, but not out of annoyance. Jack forgetting the day hardly surprises her. He tends to forget the little details. If anything, it makes her feel grounded. The past two weeks have been a lot, to put it lightly. A lot of changes. A lot of revelations. But she can always rely on Jack to be his usual self.

"A month from today," she says.

"Thanks, baby! You're the best! See you later." The phone beeps as Jack hangs up. Maddie sighs while the corner of her lip twitches upwards. It's the closest she's come to smiling since Danny died. She holds like that for a moment, caught between the ache choking her heart and the desire for things to get better. They won't, not for a long time. She won't fool herself into thinking otherwise. But it's nice, for a moment, to pretend things might be okay.

"Leaving Jack alone with the DPR? I feel sorry for them." Vlad's slimy voice ruins the moment after the first syllable.

Maddie tenses, clutching her phone tighter, and turns to face him. "Vlad. It's bad business to ask for a meeting, then make your guest wait."

When Vlad smiles, his whitened teeth cut a bright slash across his cheeks. It's too wide, too sharp. Never reaches his eyes. Maddie remembers, long ago, when Vlad had a soft smile. He used it sparingly, doling it out to only the most deserved. She can't imagine him smiling like that now.

"Well, I don't mean to be presumptive, but when I phone a friend hoping for a visit, I expect them to stop by my house, not my work."

"Your mistake, then."

The receptionist's typing falters. Her have yet to stray from her screen, but Maddie already knows she's listening in. Vlad probably does, too.

"Natalie!" he snaps.

The receptionist jerks upright. "Yes, sir?"

Vlad rests a hand on Maddie's back and pushes her forward. She moves, if only to step out of his reach, and heads toward his office. Vlad reaches into his suit jacket as he walks. He pulls out his wallet and pinches a few random bills, tugging them out without looking. "Take a break. I'm sure you could use a coffee to perk you up."

He leans in front of Maddie to drop the bills on Natalie's desk. The contact makes Maddie grimace, and she hurries ahead into his office. When she turns, Vlad is already closing the door. The last thing Maddie sees of the waiting room is Natalie's frown as she glances at a paper cup sitting in plain view on her desk.

"Now, Maddie." Vlad turns. Rather than heading to his desk, he steps toward Maddie and touches her arm. "How are you doing?"

"You left me seven messages just so you could ask that?" Maddie brushes Vlad's hand off. In three long strides, she cuts across his office and takes one of the visitor's chairs. While the waiting room had plush armchairs, these are made of dark wood, armless, with firm leather cushions and straight backs. A deliberate choice, no doubt.

Vlad comes up beside her, his hand on the second chair. Before he can sit, Maddie swings her purse off her shoulder and drops it on the empty cushion. Vlad pauses, glances between her and the bag, but relents and takes his seat at the desk instead.

His chair sits considerably higher than Maddie's.

"I can imagine the pain you're going through right now," he says.

Maddie's fists clench. "Can you really?"

"Believe it or not, yes, I can." He pauses, giving her a chance to respond. But whatever question he wants her to ask, whatever game he wants to play, Maddie refuses to give in. She might have put up with him once, but after what he's done, he will be lucky if she willingly suffers his presence ever again after today.

She waits for Vlad to elaborate.

"I'm sure you've wondered, all this time, where Danny went whenever he disappeared for hours. Being our city's young hero explains a lot of it, yes, but to be honest, that wasn't everything." Vlad stops to take a deep breath, closing his eyes for a brief moment. It's quite the performance. "To tell you the truth, he was often with me."

Bullshit! Maddie wants to shout, but she bites it back. Her jaw aches from how hard she clenches her teeth.

"I discovered his secret a long time ago and gave him a safe place away from home. You know, when conversation at the dinner table got to be too much." Vlad pauses again, letting his words sink in.

Maddie hates that she knows exactly what he means. All those times she and Jack discussed their inventions, their plans for when they finally captured the ghost boy. Most of what Vlad is saying might be a lie, but the truth within it cuts her deeply. "Really?"

Vlad might think himself a great actor, but he's apparently ignorant to Maddie's own deception. He nods at her questioning tone, eyes low and mouth pressed into a grim line. "I understand this is hard to hear. I did my best to make him feel safe, and we actually became close. Over the years, I came to think of him as something of a son. And his death has affected me deeply."

He stands, trailing his hand along his desk as he walks around toward Maddie. His shoulders droop, as if Danny's absence weighs on him. It really is a good performance. Peering closer, Maddie sees that he even looks pallid, and purple bags rest under his eyes. A look easily accomplished with some pale foundation and smudged eyeshadow.

"It's like a piece of me is missing without him. I'm sure you feel the same. We need each other, Maddie. To make us whole again."

Vlad reaches toward her, but she ducks away from him, slipping out of her chair. His hand falls through the empty air and he stumbles, nearly falling into the chair.

Now he's being ridiculous, Maddie thinks. She could have fallen for the makeup and the sob story if she didn't know better, but the off balance act? The distressed look in his eye when she pulls away? She's insulted that he thinks she would fall for it.

"You're right Vlad. I'm in pain. Danny is gone and it feels like he took a piece of me with him when he died. But I have my family to help me through it." She grabs her purse off the other chair and heads for the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

"Madeline, please—"

"Vladimir!" Her shout tears at her throat. She turns on him, blinking to fight back the burn in her eyes. He stands frozen where she left him, crumpled pathetically against her empty chair, one hand still outstretched. Maddie swallows the lump in her throat. "Enough."

She leaves without another word.

#phic phight #phic phight 2021 #notyourdanny #nyd chapter one #phanfic #phicc #dp fanfiction #danny phantom #dani phantom #danielle phantom #hurt/comfort #family #danny phantom fanfiction #trans danny #trans danny fenton

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five-rivers · 4 years ago

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Stars Aligned Chapter 2

Here’s the thing. Danny knew this was a dumb decision. At least as dumb as stepping into the ghost portal (but at least he’d gotten some nifty powers out of that, hey?). Whatever reason his bio-dad had for chucking him out the door within days of his birth couldn’t be good. Putting himself within reach of the man… Yeah. Not his brightest thought.

(Not to mention the wizards. And witches. That was so weird, how they had two different names for essentially the same thing. Then again… actor, actress… Why were people so weird?)

On the other hand, twin brother. Twin brother who had to live with aforementioned baby-abandoning bio-dad. Twin brother who wasn’t allowed to visit America. Or, Danny suspected, a family of squibs.

Yeah.

So, here he was. Getting everything in order for a wizard passport and wizard international travel, because bio-family refused to even look at an airport.

Danny had a suspicion that, based on how they spelled the word and a few other comments in that particular letter, that they weren’t entirely clear on what an airport was.

Fun.

On the other hand, in comparison to the actual, normal, legal passport he’d gotten, just in case bio-family left him somewhere, wizard passports were much, much easier to get. The wait times were practically nonexistent. He could, in theory, get the passport on the same day he traveled. All that was needed was proof he was a wizard and his adoption papers.

Of course, ‘proof he was a wizard’ actually meant ‘wand.’ Wands being something they used as personal ID, despite the fact that they were a) sticks, and b) didn’t actually carry any personally identifiable information. Sure, Jack said that they were somehow connected to their owners, but unless there were, like, giant books of details about everyone’s wands at every place that would, conceivably, need ID, and had people trained to identify all those tiny little characteristics… Danny just couldn’t see how it would work.

Danny’s current theory was that all wizards were just insane, which meant that his twin would most likely fit right in with the rest of Danny’s family, right as soon as Danny figured out how to legally kidnap him.

(No, Danny didn’t have a ghostly Obsession, and it definitely wasn’t family related. He was only half-ghost, after all. Why do you ask?)

Anyway. Wizard passport. Wizard ID. Wizard sticks.

Wands.

Wands meant a nerve-wracking trip to the nearest wizarding town with Jack. Evidently, he’d lived there a couple of years after his parents sent him away from Britain when he was around fourteen because of ‘the war.’

Abruptly, many of Jack’s stories about his childhood made more sense.

(It had always been something of a joke between Jazz and Danny to try and figure out what ‘the war’ was supposed to be, and if Jack’s parents had just… Conned him into thinking he’d eaten horse meat. For some reason. Even if the Fentons hadn’t seemed like that kind of people, no matter how eccentric.)

(Also, evidently Jazz and Danny had never met Jack’s biological parents, who were not named Fenton, although his adopted mother was also a witch.)

(Why was everything so complicated?)

The “wizarding community” was a small town accessible only by a train line invisible to ‘no-majs.’ And also flying brooms. Which wizards used. Danny had seen the train before, not realizing that he wasn’t supposed to. Several times. Usually while flying to Wisconsin to deal with whatever Vlad had done that week.

If Danny was a wizard, was Vlad? Was being half-ghost somehow tied up in being magical? What did that mean for Dani?

(Hey, maybe this whole affair could be used to bring Dani into the family safely. Who was to say that he didn’t have a secret twin sister?)

Danny could admit that the town itself, which had almost a Ghost Zone vibe with how all the architecture seemed to be from fifty plus to a hundred years ago and also the physics breaking magic, was sort of cool. It was… cute, he guessed. He didn’t really like how everyone was staring at Jack, their clothes were just as weird, but it wasn’t a new thing. People always stared at Jack.

That’s what happened when you wore hazard-orange jumpsuits twenty-four seven.

The shops all had names out of a fantasy novel, and at one point they got turned around and wound up on a residential street where they had to ask for directions, but eventually they made it to ‘Willoughby’s Wand Emporium.’

The interior of Willoughby’s Wand Emporium reminded Danny strongly of a shoe store. The shelves were all lined with boxes of approximately that size, and the employees all carried measuring tape. It also smelled like a shoe store: musty and dry, with a hint of polish. Or maybe it was wood varnish? Or some kind of paint.

A young woman bounced up. “Hi, how can we help you today? Replacement wand?”

“First time, actually,” said Jack.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said the woman. “You’re just so tall for your age.”

“I’m fourteen,” said Danny.

The woman began to turn red.

“He was missed,” said Jack. “It happens.” He smiled, but it looked far more strained than usual.

“Oh,” said the woman. “Ahem. Well, if you’ll come right this way, I can start taking measurements, and start trying out wands. The wand chooses the wizard, they say!”

“Okay,” said Danny, shrugging. That was… interesting. Were the wands sentient? Did that somehow make them acceptable IDs?

Seemed really weird to keep sentient things stored in boxes.

… Said the kid who stored sentient beings in a soup thermos.

A really high-tech soup thermos.

Didn’t make it better.

Except he didn’t keep them in the thermos indefinitely. Except for Dan.

Danny didn’t know if the wizards kept the wands in boxes indefinitely, either. Maybe he should stop assuming things. That had gotten him in trouble with ghosts more than once.

The woman took her measuring tape from where it hung around her shoulders, held it out in front of herself, and promptly dropped it. It did not fall.

As basic as levitation was for ghosts, it was really weird to see a human do it. (Especially when it always took so much concentration for him to levitate things other than himself—Hence why he never really used the ability in battle.)

The measuring tape flitted around Danny’s head, shoulders, arms, and body, taking measurements. He had to sit on his reflexes hard to prevent himself from trying to catch it or knock it out of the air.

He was so nervous. Was it normal to be nervous?

The measuring tape snaked back through the air to the woman, who smiled. “Alright,” she said, “we can start with that. Uh, to explain the process, we usually start out with wands in the appropriate size range and try and zero in on the ones that respond best to you from there.” She flicked her own wand, and several thin boxes slid themselves off the shelves. “We use a wide variety of wand woods from a variety of wandmakers. Just about any tree that grows in North America is probably represented here.” She paused. “Except for palm trees.”

“That makes sense,” said Danny. Palm trees were quite different from other trees.

“Alright. Let’s start with pine. The core of this one is dragon heartstring—Harvested humanely, of course!”

“Core?” said Danny, latching on to the familiar word even as he regarded the wand itself dubiously.

“Yes. As with our woods, we also stock a wide range of wand cores. Each wand has a core made of a small part of a magical creature. Dragon heartstring, unicorn hair, and phoenix feather are the standard ones… But that standardization is rather British. We have a few others available. Thunderbird tail feather—Only taken during molt. Wampus cat hair. Dittany. Rougarou hair. Jackalope antler… Those are the more common ones, though we do have others. Even some kneazle whisker, although most people don’t want those.”

“Why not?”

“Ah, they tend not to be very strong. But sheer power isn’t everything. Some prefer control, need lower power output… or are worried about accidents while they’re learning. We do see some adult learners every now and then.”

That actually sounded sort of appealing to Danny, but he supposed he’d better go about this normally. At least at first.

He picked up the pine wand and immediately dropped it.

“Ow,” he said.

“Ow?” repeated the woman. “Oh,” she said, catching sight of the burn on his hand. “That’s… not supposed to happen.”

“Y’know,” said Danny, conversationally, “I’ve only held, like, two magical things in my life, and both of them have damaged my hands. Is this, like, a common thing, or am I just ridiculously unlucky.”

“Second one, I think,” said the woman. “Cynthia’s good at minor healing charms. I’m going to go get her. Okay? Okay.”

Shortly thereafter, phoenix feather wands were also eliminated as a possibility, not because they burned Danny, but because they seemed intent on burning everything else around him. Pine wands were also a definite no-go (“Don’t worry about the lifespan thing,” said the woman, “that’s a myth.”). As was everything but elder, apple, pear, hornbeam, thorn, and yew (this list got another mention of myths from the shop assistant).

At this point, the shop owner, Mrs. Willoughby, was drawn out from the back room to observe the mess Danny was making.

“My,” she said, “I haven’t seen anyone have this much trouble in a while. Heather, why don’t you go get some of the specialty cores.”

“I thought the unicorn was working well,” protested the woman who’d been helping Danny so far. She winced as Danny picked up a new wand and exploded a light. “Comparatively.”

“Yes, we could probably eventually find a unicorn hair wand that would work for him, but all things considered… I feel like we should explore other avenues.” She sniffed. “Nothing associated with fire. Perhaps kelpie mane?”

“I’ll check,” said Heather.

Kelpie mane, it turned out, did the same sort of thing as phoenix tail feather when it came to Danny. Only with a lot more water involved.

“I didn’t think that would work, anyway,” said Mrs. Willoughby.

“Then why,” said Danny, wringing water out of his shirt, “did you have me try it?”

“Oh, cases like you greatly improve our understanding of wandlore,” said Mrs. Willoughby. “You’re not likely to have noticed this yet, but the population of wizards and witches is so small compared to the no-maj population that everyone who gets very far in a profession has to be a bit of an innovator. I’m recording this for future reference, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you do in life. If anything. It would be very helpful to me if you became famous.”

“Hard pass on that,” said Danny.

“Or at least come back at some point.”

“I’ll consider it,” said Danny. “But, like, we were really hoping to do other things today, so maybe…” He made a circular motion with his hand. “Or at least, ugh, I don’t know. I feel like everything you give me is trying to kill me.”

It was a very familiar feeling, and a very unwelcome one, nonetheless.

“We really aren’t,” said Mrs. Willoughby. “But perhaps… from now on, we’ll limit to the woods to the Rosaceaes. The others tend to be called unlucky. Well, except for the hornbeam. Is there anything you’re singularly passionate about?”

Singularly passionate? “Not really,” said Danny, who did not think about ghosts or helping people or space. He shifted, uncomfortable, and squelched.

Screw it. He was supposedly a wizard, now, right?

He phased the water off himself.

“Oh my god!” shouted Heather. “Did you do that on purpose?”

“Uh,” said Danny. “No?”

“Calm down, Heather. Don’t act like you’ve never seen accidental magic before.”

“Not with a teenager doing it!”

They were now attracting a crowd. Yay.

“He’s not trained, yet,” said Mrs. Willoughby, unconcerned. “Don’t be rude.”

“Yeah, can we get back on track, here?”

After a few more tries, Mrs. Willoughby had determined that the wood that reacted the least badly to Danny was hawthorn. Then she sent Heather into the storage room to fetch more.

“I don’t know why we even have these,” said Heather, under her breath, carrying several boxes marked with stamps that read ‘THESTRAL.’

“Because some people have trauma, Heather.”

“He’s a teenager. I seriously doubt he has deep personal experiences with death.”

“Wow, way to assume, Heather,” said another shop assistant, who was passing by with a far-too-curious customer.

“Here,” said Mrs. Willoughby, handing Danny a box. “Try this one. It’s hawthorn.”

With some suspicion, Danny slid the cover off the box and gingerly picked up the wand inside.

It didn’t do anything like what the other wands had. Instead, the slender length of wood gave him a faint echo of the feeling he got when he was on an emotional high and engaging in either extreme mischief or obsession-adjacent activities (because he did not have a real, ghostly, capital-O Obsession).

Danny declined to hold it with all five fingers, lest he be overcome with mania.

Yes, he was paranoid. But when touching things can go as badly for you as they did for Danny, paranoia was justified.

“Oh, it looks like you’ve found your match,” said Mrs. Willoughby, clapping.

With the ease of practice, Danny did not let any trace of horror or unease show on his face. He ignored the surge of glee from the wand, and carefully placed it back in the box.

Yeah. He needed a wand for passport purposes, but there was no way he was going to use that. He’d just fake magic with ghost powers. It had been working out okay so far.

What was the worst that could happen?

A rather relieved Jack paid for the wand, and they made their way, slowly, to the government building.

“So,” said Jack. “You want to save getting those beginner magic manuals for another day?”

“Absolutely,” said Danny. He wondered if his twin had gone through anything even remotely like this and if it was really worth all this trouble to meet a person he would have basically nothing in common with other than blood.

Blood that likely meant less than usual, considering that his was diluted with ectoplasm. A fact he would have to hide. With no allies or back up. In England.

(Again, this whole endeavor was not his greatest idea.)

Draco supervised the house-elves as they cleaned out the room next to his own, feeling rather blank. He had campaigned vigorously for his twin to come, but now that he was…

The boy, for all that he was as much a Malfoy as Draco, was an American for all intents and purposes. What did Americans even like? What did they call their bastardized version of Quidditch? Would Deneb even know about wizard games? According to the woman from the agency, he’d been raised as a muggle by those squibs he’d been placed with.

Slowly but surely, Draco’s heart sank. He had no idea what his twin would be like. Deneb, despite being his brother, would essentially be a stranger.

He was beginning to understand why his mother was so angry at his father.

#danny phantom #dp/hp crossover #dp/hp twin au #stars aligned

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fadinggalaxysalad · 4 months ago

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tumblr made me ship it. Anyways. So Lex Luthor is an incredibly intelligent man, he knows how laws work, has to in order to use them like skip ropes. While Superman may not have a legal identity for custody filings (though comic book laws means he can try anyways, for plot), it doesn't mean he can't make things hard for Lex to raise his baby boy. If Superman can prove some kind of relationship with Lois Lane, the courts could be more favorable to a two parent home for visitations vs a single businessman who is constantly travelling for meetings. Know what plot device could be applied? Married for benefits. That's right, going that route for this offshoot. Lex and Danny for this one lets say are both ace and demi-romantic. Comic Lex has a doomed romantic narrative over and over again and we're going to sidestep it all because then you go down reboots and au timelines that I'm not knowledgeable enough to be comfortable going through. So these two have gotten close, have to with baby Conner (since Clark hasn't named him Kon-El) and Lex being a hover dad without admitting he's being one. They've grown on one another like mold, creeping in slowly and out of sight. That smack heard round the world Superman was on the receiving end of however made it very clear. The follow up lecture of keeping his hands to himself and that even children deserve to have personal space respected? (Conner may be stuck on the word "no" right now, but he made himself clear he didn't want Superman touching him) Lex is having a revelation, he's attracted to his sons nanny. Danny himself maybe saw the hassle his own clone went through with her paperwork (sprinkling some semi redeemed Vlad, still a jerk but like tomatoes when you ordered no tomatoes level of annoyance) and how as a genetic donor, Danny could have fought him in court and was needed to sign custody papers (fanfic science, hand waving it all) with some fudging of ages. So when Lex asks him to help his own case to keep his son, Danny that still protector even if he didn't want to be a hero, agrees. Besides, baby Conner is adorable and if this means its easier later to enroll him in Baby and Me classes because he's an on paper parent instead of just the nanny, even better. Also if we continue with Lionel Luthor being an entire bag of assholes and still around, it prevents him attempting anything to steal his OP grandson should Lex be injured. This may be Lex's smartest business decision since he hired Mercy. He's also ignoring that slightly smug look on her face, this is business only. Protection of his son and heir means nothing is too much. Not even coming back to the penthouse that now houses Danny too full time and seeing his son floating in the kitchen with his step father while learning to sign the A-B-C's while Danny's double is making dinner. Damn, he's attractive even while being domestic, it wasn't a one time thing.

Nanny Danny

“That is a whole ass baby,” was the only thought running through Lex Luthor’s head when the scientist proudly showed him the tube containing Project KR. It was not remotely the sort of thing he would normally think and most definitely not what he had expected to be thinking the first time he saw the clone.

He’d been pleased when he’d read the reports indicating the success of KR after years of failures. Lex had poured millions of dollars and literally his own blood into ensuring a clone of the alien could be made, one that would be under his total control instead of the unknown aspirations of Superman. He’d wanted to see the fruits of his labors personally but this…

It. No, not an it. He scrunched his tiny face and smacked his lips and…did he smirk? Was that HIS SMIRK on that baby’s face?! No. No. Babies this small didn’t smile or smirk. They passed gas and their sleep deprived and addled parents mistook it for an intelligent response. He’d heard enough inane conversations in the Lexcorp office about the various progeny of his employees to pick up on that but still. This child had Kryptonian DNA, not to mention his own contribution. Surely, he was far more advanced than the dribbling potato shaped lump of an infant whose pictures he’d been forced to smile and nod over when Mark from accounting had rudely shoved them in his face at the last quarterly budget meeting. Yes, that was definitely a smirk. His, that was his smirk.

“So as you can see its growth is well within expected parameters and we’re planning to start phase one of accelerating the maturation process tomorrow once the testing is do-”

“Take him out.”

“Sir? The testing can all be accomplished while it remains in the tube. There’s no need to-”

“I said, take him out. The project is cancelled.”

“What?! Mr. Luthor you can’t!”

“I think you’ll find I can. Now get me my son.”

*****

Two years later

“Call them again”

“Sir, I’ve called them seven times. They won’t answer.”

“Then call another agency!”

“There isn’t another agency, Sir”

Lex glared at his assistant who stared back at him impassively. Mercy stood by the door staring off into the distance and pretending she didn’t notice him being bested by his own secretary.

He stopped himself from shouting again and took a deep breath before asking, “Then what, exactly, do you propose I do Mrs. Anderson? Adjust my entire schedule around naptimes? Find a toddler size lab coat and safety goggles and bring my son with me to tour the new clean energy project on Thursday? Perhaps buy a tiny business suit while I’m at it for the next board meeting?”

“I’m not suggesting anything of the sort, Mr. Luthor. I’m telling you that no childcare agency in Metropolis will return my calls anymore. Most won’t even answer. You’ve gone through 27 nannies in the last 3 months. You need someone better suited to your son’s…special needs.”

Lex snorted. “Special needs might be a bit of understatement. He can lift a car over his head and his favorite word right now is No.”

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Thank you for…clarifying the situation, Marjorie. If there’s nothing else, you can leave.”

His secretary didn’t move. She looked at him like she was waiting for something and now that he was paying attention, he saw she was holding a file. “Did you have a suggestion?”

Looking pleased with herself she responded, “Actually, yes, I did.”

“Well?”

She set the file on his desk and flipped it open. He looked down at the first page and raised an eyebrow, “What am I looking at here?”

“This,” she responded pulling out the top set of papers and spreading them out, “is the employee file and background check for Daniel J. Fenton, an intern that started in our engineering department about 4 months ago. He has one sibling, two parents and several close friends he regularly meets with. His current supervisor has nothing but good things to say about him and reports he gets along well with all his coworkers.”

She set out the next set of papers, neatly arranging them on the desk to be easily seen. “These are newspaper articles and screenshots of social media posts regarding a small town vigilante locally known as Phantom. The same small town, Mr. Fenton is from coincidentally. Also coincidentally, Phantom made his first appearance only a few weeks after Mr. Fenton was involved in a minor accident in his parent’s home laboratory when he was 14, the medical records for the incident are included.”

“Hmm,” Lex said observing several photos of Phantom and a younger Fenton arranged in order of similar poses and facial expressions and printed out side by side.

“Finally,” she said handing him the last set of papers directly, “this would be a report from the lab Mr. Fenton works in from an incident that happened yesterday. A test with a new protype went wrong and started a fire. Everyone evacuated per protocol when the alarms went off but one of the other interns was working on a programming issue off to the side of the lab while wearing headphones and didn’t hear the alarm or notice the fire. Mr. Fenton noticed his absence and returned to the lab to get him out.” She stopped talking and let him look at the last several pages in the file, a series of photographs of the lab.

“Is this ice?”

“Yes, it is. It’s several inches thick and covers half of the lab. It completely put out the fire leaving minimal damage.”

“This machine was moved?”

“It was. It was very close to the flames and would have required replacement if exposed to extreme heat or cold. That particular piece of equipment also weighs several thousand pounds and was bolted to the floor.”

Lex read through everything in detail then clasped his hands under his chin and stared at the photo of Daniel Fenton for several moments before turning back to his waiting secretary.

“Have HR send Mr. Fenton up. I’d like to offer him a promotion.”

#suspend your knowledge of both universes #because I'm throwing it all out the window #dcxdp #dpxdc #Danny Fenton is not the ghost king #Adult Danny Fenton #Good Dad Lex Luthor #mostly anyways #Nanny Danny Fenton #once again i am not a writer #I am slapping together a picture here with all the finesse of someone who overindulged at a sip and paint.#tags in the photo belong to the previous reblogger #OP tossed the prompt out there #and we dragged it into the dumpster fire #and by we i mean me

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user-2-electric-boogaloo · 4 years ago

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A Comparison of RTD and Steven Moffat: Saving The Day

So for this analysis I’m going to compare when Moffat and RTD save the day well and when they save it poorly. There are a few bits of criteria I need to explain.

First I will only be including main series, no Torchwood, no spin-offs, and no mini episodes.

Second, I have to define what makes a good and a bad ending (my examples will come from episodes written by neither of them):

Bad endings include when the sonic saves the day (see The Power Of Three) (there are exceptions, see below), when a character spouts some useless technobabble that doesn’t make any scientific sense/when it doesn’t make logical sense in general, when the Doctor invents/presents a machine/equipment that miraculously stops the baddy and is never referred to again (see Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS), and any other ending I deem to be bad (see The Vampires of Venice)

Good endings include when the sonice activates a device that has been well established to save the day, when technobabble is used that actually makes some scientific sense, and just generally when the baddy is destroyed in what I deem to be a creative manner that makes sense with all the things that had been set up in that episode (see The Unquiet Dead).

There will also be cases where there isn’t really a day to be saved, however this happens more often with Moffat.

Let us begin (obviously there will be spoilers but the last episode in the list aired nearly 4 years ago so what you doing with your life).

RTD:

Rose: Bad

What even is anti-plastic?! Like seriously, he’s faced the Autons loads of times and has never thought to use it any other time.

The End Of The World: Bad

The Doctor just goes up to the appearance of the repeated meme (ha meme) and rips its arm off. He then just summons Cassandra back by twisting a knob which apparently everyone can do if “you’re very clever like me”.

Aliens Of London/World War Three: Good

Just nuking them all was a bit dodgy but I’ll give it to him purely because it had been set up earlier in the episode and it is a genuine option that could have been taken.

The Long Game: Good

The heating issue was set up within 2 minutes of the episode starting. It’s always good to see the Doctor using his enemies weakness against them.

Boom Town: Good

Only just. It’s technology that hadn’t been showcased ever before and came out of nowhere, but I’m allowing purely because it was setting up The Parting Of The Ways.

Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways: Good

See above. It was set up the story before so it works.

The Christmas Invasion: Bad

This was so close to being good. If RTD had just let the Sycorax leader be honourable then everything would have been fine. Instead he had to let him be dishonourable and then the Doctor through the Satsuma at a random button that for no apparent reason caused a bit of floor to fall away.

New Earth: Bad

It only makes sense if you think about it for less than 10 seconds as just pouring every cure to every disease ever into a giant tub and then spraying said supercure onto them all, then having them hug each other to pass it on. That is suspending my disbelief just a bit too far.

Tooth And Claw: Good

Everything is set up in the episode so I’ll allow it but I fail to see how Prince Albert had the time to ensure that the diamond was cut perfectly.

Love And Monsters: Bad

It’s Love And Monsters. Need I say more?

Army of Ghosts/Doomsday: Good

It was very clearly set up throughout the episode.

The Runaway Bride: Bad

I don’t like how a few bombs can supposedly drain the entire Thames.

Smith And Jones: Good

All the events were well established

Gridlock: Good

It’s a fairly bland way to save the day, just opening the surface to all the drivers. But how else could he have done it?

Utopia/The Sound Of Drums/Last Of The Time Lords: Bad

As much as I like the idea that he tuned himself into the archangel network, he basically turned into Jesus. It is arguably the least convincing ending in modern Doctor Who history.

Voyage Of The Damned: Bad

Why was he the next highest authority? If he’s the highest authority in the universe why didn’t they default to him in the first place? If not then why not default to Midshipman Frame? And if he’s somehow in between them then why? Also Astrid killed herself for no reason when she easily could have jumped out of the forklift.

Partners In Crime: Good

It works in the context of the episode, but I don’t see why they needed two of the necklace things.

Midnight: Good

It’s human nature, you can’t get more well set up than that.

Turn Left: Good

It works logically

The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End: Bad

Donna just spouts a load of technobabble whilst pressing buttons and then the Daleks are magically incapacitated.

The Next Doctor: Bad

Why do the infostamps sever Hartigan’s connection with the Cyberking? As far as I remember it ain’t explained.

Planet Of The Dead (co-written with noted transphobe Gareth Roberts): Good

A good couple scenes are dedicated on getting the anti-gravs set up.

The Waters Of Mars (co-written with Phil Ford): N/A

The day isn’t really saved cause everyone still dies anyway.

The End Of Time: Good

Using a gun to destroy a machine is much better than using the sonic to destroy it.

Summary for RTD:

Out of 24 stories written by him, I deem 10 to be bad endings with 1 abstaining. That’s 41.7% of his episodes (43.5% if we don’t count any abstaining).

Steven Moffat:

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances: Good

You’ll see this a lot with Moffat, he knows how to explain things without stupefying levels of technobabble. “Emailing the upgrade” is a perfect example of this.

The Girl In The Fireplace: Good

Some basic logic, the androids want to repair their ship, but they can’t return to it, they no longer have a function so they shut down.

Blink: Good

Always loved this one, getting the angels to look at each other, however they do look at each other sometimes earlier in the episode.

Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead: Bad

This is more of a problem with the setup of the episode, I don’t like that he can negotiate with the Vashta Nerada. I’d rather see them comprehensively beaten, but I guess it’s good for the scare factor that they can’t be escaped from.

The Eleventh Hour: Good

He convinced the best scientists all around the world to set every clock to 0 all in less than an hour. In the Doctor’s own words “Who da man!”

The Beast Below: Good

The crying child motif pretty much ended up saving the day (well for the star whale, life went on as normal for pretty much everyone else).

The Time Of Angels/Flesh And Stone: Good

The artificial gravity had briefly been set up earlier so I’ll allow it.

The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang: Good

Everything had been set up perfectly, the vortex manipulator, the Pandorica’s survival field thingy, the TARDIS exploding at every moment in history.

A Christmas Carol: Good

Literally the entire episode is the Doctor saving the day by convincing Kazran not to be a cock.

The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon: Good

The silence’s ability to influence people is their whole thing, so using it against them is a good Doctory thing to do.

A Good Man Goes To War: N/A

The day isn’t really saved, Melody is lost, but River shows up at the end so is all fine? I love the episode it’s just the day isn’t really truly saved (yes I know Amy was rescued but she still lost her baby).

Let’s Kill Hitler: N/A

There isn’t really a day to be saved. They all get out alive but no one is really saved other than maybe River but we all knew she was gonna live anyway.

The Wedding Of River Song: Good

Whilst opinion is divided on the episode, the ending still works. the Tesseracta was established in Let’s Kill Hitler, and the “touch River and time will move again” was established well in advance.

The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe: Bad

I don’t like how the lifeboat travels through the time vortex for no reason but to rescue the dad. It don’t make no sense and I don’t think it’s explained

Asylum Of The Daleks: Good

Oswin had access to the Dalek hive mind so of course she should be able to link into the controls and blow everything up.

The Angels Take Manhattan: Good

Paradoxes really do be something powerful, and they even acknowledge how nobody knows if it’d work so I’ll let it slide.

The Snowmen: Bad

Lots of people cry at Christmas, why are the Latimers anything special?

The Bells of Saint John: Good

The whole episode is about hacking so why shouldn’t the Doctor be able to hack the spoonheads

The Name Of The Doctor: Good

It was the story arc for the season pretty much, so of course it was explained well in advance.

The Day Of The Doctor: Good

Both the storing Gallifrey like a painting and the making everyone forget if they’re Human or Zygon works in the context of the episode.

The Time Of The Doctor: Bad

Since when were the Time Lords so easily negotiated with?

Deep Breath: Good

I like the dilemma over whether the half-face man was pushed or jumped.

Into The Dalek: Good

It’s set up well with this new Doctor’s persona of actually not being too nice of a guy (at first).

Listen: N/A

There isn’t a day to be saved. It’s just 45 minutes of the Doctor testing a hypothesis and I low-key love it.

Time Heist (co-written with Steven Thompson): Good

It works logically so I’ll allow it however it isn’t very well set up at all.

The Caretaker (co-written with noted shithead Gareth Roberts): Good

The machine to tell the Blitzer what to do was set up well in advance so I’ll allow it.

Dark Water/Death In Heaven: Good

The fact that Danny still cares even as a cyberman is set up fairly early on after his transformation.

Last Christmas: Good

He does use the sonic to wake up Clara but he convinces the others to wake up through talking so I’ll allow it.

The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar: Good

It’s set up well with that little scene from actually inside the sewers.

The Girl Who Died (co-written with Jamie Mathieson): Good

IDK why the vikings would randomly keep electric eels but they’re set up well so I’ll ignore it.

The Zygon Inversion (co-written with Peter Harness): N/A

Not including this one as it’s only the second part and I’d argue the ending is most likely Harness’.

Heaven Sent/Hell Bent: N/A

Again there isn’t really a day to be saved, yes Heaven Sent really is amazing but it’s only the first part and, being completely honest, he dies several billion times before finally getting through the wall.

The Husbands Of River Song: N/A

Again there isn’t really a day to be saved here.

The Return Of Doctor Mysterio: Good

He gets Grant to catch the bomb which is good. But he does just sonic the gun out of Dr Sim’s hand and says UNIT is on its way which just sort of wraps it up very quickly.

The Pilot: N/A

No day to be saved here.

Extremis: Good

You could technically call it the sonic saving the day, I consider it to be the Doctor emailing the Doctor to warn him of the future.

The Pyramid At The End Of The World: Good

The fire sanitising everything makes sense and it’s in character for Bill to love the Doctor enough to cure his blindness in return for the world

World Enough And Time/The Doctor Falls: Good

Yes it is the sonic just blowing the cybermen up, but it’s blowing them up with well established pipelines so I’ll allow it (also the story is amazing).

Twice Upon A Time: N/A

No day to be saved here. Just Doctors 1 and 12 getting angsty about regenerating.

Summary for Steven Moffat:

Out of 39 stories written by him, I deemed 4 to be bad with 7 abstaining. That’s 10.3% of his episodes (12.5% if we don’t count any abstaining).

Conclusions:

Moffat was much better at saving the day than RTD

Moffat liked telling stories where the day didn’t actually need to be saved

I’ve spent way too long on this and I need to sleep

If I spent as much time on this as my coursework I’d probably pass

If you’re still reading this, you probably need to get a life

#doctor who #steven moffat #rtd #in case you can't tell I really don't like RTD #Remember the Superwholock days when everyone ripped the shit out of Moffat #what am I doing with my life #tardis #rose tyler #martha jones #donna noble #amy pond #rory pond #rory williams #river song #clara oswald #Bill Potts

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twoidiotwriters1 · 3 years ago

Text

Written In The Stars CXLIII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: I knew ppl were going to drop my fic in this book bc I made things complicated but I don’t regret the plot— did it still made me sad? yes it sure did -Danny

Words: 5,256

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘No Control’ -by Dylan Reynolds

Chapter Five: The New Routine.

Dumbledore knocked on the door three times and Mrs Weasley's voice was quick to answer.

"Who's there? Declare yourself!"

"It is I, Dumbledore, bringing Harry. Mel and Erick are with us."

"Harry, dear!" Mrs Weasley opened the door at once, letting them in. "Mel! Erick! Gracious, Albus, you gave me a fright, you said not to expect you before morning!"

"We were lucky, Slughorn proved much more persuadable than I had expected. The children's doing, of course. Ah, hello, Nymphadora!"

"Hello, Professor... Wotcher, kids."

"Hi, Tonks."

Tonks was looking remarkably grim, Mel looked around the kitchen.

"Where's my mum?"

"I told her to go to bed," Mrs Weasley said sweetly, "it's almost midnight, the baby kept her up last night and she needed to sleep."

"I'd better be off," Tonks stood up. "Thanks for the tea and sympathy, Molly."

"Please don't leave on my account," said Dumbledore, "I cannot stay, I have urgent matters to discuss with Rufus Scrimgeour."

"No, no, I need to get going," She replied. "'Night —"

"Dear, why not come to dinner at the weekend, Remus and Mad-Eye are coming — ?"

"My uncle's coming?" Mel asked with excitement.

"No, really, Molly... thanks anyway..." Tonks said tensely. "Good night, everyone."

"Well, I shall see you at Hogwarts," Dumbledore told them. "Take care of yourself. Molly, your servant."

He and Tonks disapparated, Erick spoke up.

"You have a lovely house, Mrs Weasley."

"Oh dear, well, we do make an effort on making it cosy," Mrs Weasley smiled. "You're like Ron, all of you, you look as though you've had Stretching Jinxes put on you. I swear Ron's grown four inches since I last bought him school robes. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I am," said Harry.

"A bit," Erick agreed.

Mel sat down between them, she was quite pleased about Mrs Weasley's comment on her growth, even though hers was less noticeable than the boys' who now were five and seven inches taller than her.

Crookshanks and Grey quickly made their way to them. Grey didn't like Erick very much, though Mel didn't know why. Crookshanks, on the other hand, was a huge fan.

"So Hermione's here?" Harry asked as he watched the ginger cat ruin the impeccable set of clothes Erick was wearing.

"Oh yes, she arrived the day before yesterday. Everyone's in bed, of course, we didn't expect you for hours. Here you are — Bread, dears?"

"Thanks, Mrs Weasley."

"So you persuaded Horace Slughorn to take the job?"

"It wasn't hard," Mel smiled. "Professor Slughorn was eager to get to know us better."

"He taught Arthur and me. He was at Hogwarts for ages, started around the same time as Dumbledore, I think. Did you like him?"

Harry and Erick shrugged, Mel kept her attention on her plate.

"I know what you mean... Of course he can be charming when he wants to be, but Arthur's never liked him much. The Ministry's littered with Slughorn's old favorites, he was always good at giving leg ups, but he never had much time for Arthur — didn't seem to think he was enough of a highflier. Well, that just shows you, even Slughorn makes mistakes. I don't know whether Ron's told you in any of his letters — it's only just happened — but Arthur's been promoted!"

Harry made a funny noise, taken by surprise. Erick did a sort of delighted hum and Mel stopped eating, staring at her attentively.

"That's great!" Harry said.

"You are sweet... Yes, Rufus Scrimgeour has set up several new offices in response to the present situation, and Arthur's heading the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. It's a big job, he's got ten people reporting to him now!"

"Sounds important," Erick smiled.

"What exactly — ?"

"Well, you see, in all the panic about You-Know-Who, odd things have been cropping up for sale everywhere, things that are supposed to guard against You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters. You can imagine the kind of thing — so-called protective potions that are really gravy with a bit of bubotuber pus added, or instructions for defensive jinxes that actually make your ears fall off..."

Mrs Weasley looked beyond proud as she told them all about her husband's new job. Mel was happy for him, she couldn't think of a man who deserved a promotion more than Mr Weasley.

"...So you see, it's a very important job, and I tell him it's just silly to miss dealing with spark plugs and toasters and all the rest of that Muggle rubbish."

"Well, the heart wants what it wants," Mel chuckled, she was unaware of the way both boys looked at her.

"Is Mr Weasley still at work?" Harry questioned.

"Yes, he is. As a matter of fact, he's a tiny bit late... He said he'd be back around midnight..."

Mel felt something awful crawling up her chest when she noticed all the tiny hands on the clock were now pointing at 'Mortal peril'.

"It's been like that for a while now," Mrs Weasley commented, "ever since You-Know-Who came back into the open. I suppose everybody's in mortal danger now... I don't think it can be just our family... but I don't know anyone else who's got a clock like this, so I can't check. Oh!"

Mr Weasley's was now currently pointing at 'travelling.'

"He's coming!" She got up, a second later there was a knock on the door. "Arthur, is that you?"

"Yes. But I would say that even if I were a Death Eater, dear. Ask the question!"

"Oh, honestly..."

"Molly!"

"All right, all right... What is your dearest ambition?"

"To find out how airplanes stay up."

Mel and Harry shared a look of amusement, she heard Erick mumbling 'How do they stay up?' Mrs Weasley tried to open the door but her husband kept it shut.

"Molly! I've got to ask you your question first!"

"Arthur, really, this is just silly..."

"What do you like me to call you when we're alone together?"

The group of teenagers froze.

"Mollywobbles," Mrs Weasley whispered to the tiny crack in the door.

Mel choked on the soup, Harry had to hide his face entirely to control his laughing fit after watching her almost die, Erick quickly patted her back.

"Correct," Mr Weasley said brightly. "Now you can let me in."

"I still don't see why we have to go through that every time you come home!" Mrs Weasley complained as the man walked in. "I mean, a Death Eater might have forced the answer out of you before impersonating you!"

"I know, dear, but it's Ministry procedure, and I have to set an example. Something smells good — onion soup? Kids! We didn't expect you until morning!"

They all greeted Mr Weasley, Mel finally able to breathe and Harry able to speak without cracking up.

"Thanks, Molly," He said when the woman set a plate for him. "It's been a tough night. Some idiot's started selling Metamorph-Medals. Just sling them around your neck and you'll be able to change your appearance at will. A hundred thousand disguises, all for ten Galleons!"

"And what really happens when you put them on?"

"Mostly you just turn a fairly unpleasant orange color, but a couple of people have also sprouted tentaclelike warts all over their bodies. As if St. Mungo's didn't have enough to do already!"

"It sounds like the sort of thing Fred and George would find funny," said Mrs Weasley with doubt. "Are you sure — ?"

"Of course I am! The boys wouldn't do anything like that now, not when people are desperate for protection!"

"So is that why you're late, Metamorph-Medals?"

"No, we got wind of a nasty backfiring jinx down in Elephant and Castle, but luckily the Magical Law Enforcement Squad had sorted it out by the time we got there..."

Harry yawned beside her, Mel was starting to feel weary herself after days of sleeping in the backseat of a car.

"Bed," said Mrs Weasley. "I've got Fred and George's room all ready for you, boys. Mel, you're sharing Ginny's bedroom but I don't want you to wake the girls up. Is it okay if you sleep with Erick and Harry tonight?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Mel yawned, too sleepy to care.

"Where are the twins?" Harry asked.

"Oh, they're in Diagon Alley, sleeping in the little flat over their joke shop as they're so busy," said Mrs Weasley, and Mel could tell there was a hint of pride in her voice. "I must say, I didn't approve at first, but they do seem to have a bit of a flair for business! Come on, dears, your trunks are already up there."

"'Night, Mr Weasley," said Harry.

"Thank you for letting us stay," Erick added.

"Have a goodnight!" Mel ended.

"G'night," said Mr Weasley.

Mel had been in the twins' room a couple of times through the years, it was startling when she walked in and couldn't recognize it. The smell of fireworks was still hanging in the air and there was a few boxes of their personal items laying around, but almost nothing left from their essence in the room, it made her feel homesick.

There were only two beds since they weren't expected until the next morning. Mrs Weasley quickly made a third bed appear with a flick of her wand, it was smaller than the other two, mostly blankets and cushions piled together. She apologized profusely, but Mel didn't mind, she would've slept on the floor considering how exhausted she was.

The boys insisted that she took one of their beds but Mel refused, when she came back from changing Erick was already tucked in her pile of blankets. Harry was grinning at the way his feet were hanging over the edge.

The following morning she was awoken by the door slamming open and a pair of feet stomping into the room. She hid her face between the pillows, Harry's mattress squeaked as he sat up, and fabric rustled as Erick pushed down his blankets.

"Wuzzgoinon?" Harry asked sleepily.

"We didn't know you were here already!" There was a soft thud coming from Harry's bed after Ron sat down on it.

"Ron, don't hit him!" Hermione sat on Mel's bed.

"Dear Merlin," She groaned, hiding under the covers. "I'm going to murder you two..."

"All right?" Ron asked.

"Never been better," said Harry, sounding a bit more awake. "You?"

"Not bad."

"I knew there was no way I'd have a quiet morning here," Erick grumbled. "Hi, 'Mione..."

"Hi!" She said brightly, then shook one of Mel's legs. "Wake up! I want to hear all you did during your mission!"

"When did you get here? Mum's only just told us!" Ron said.

"About one o'clock this morning," Harry replied, Mel turned around and squinted, trying to get used to the sunlight.

"Were the Muggles all right? Did they treat you okay?"

"Same as usual... they didn't talk to me much, but I like it better that way. How're you, Hermione?"

"Oh, I'm fine."

"What's the time? Have we missed breakfast?" Harry said.

"Don't worry about that, Mum's bringing you up a tray; she reckons you look underfed," said Ron.

"Well, he is," Mel replied, finally sitting up. "You should've seen my mum — almost forced the food down his throat once..."

Harry threw a pillow at her, but he missed by a considerable distance.

"So, what's been going on?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Nothing much, I've just been stuck at my aunt and uncle's, haven't I?"

"And we just had a road trip around some towns," Erick said, getting out of his covers only to sit down on Harry's bed.

"Come off it!" said Ron. "You've been off with Dumbledore!"

"It wasn't that exciting. He just wanted us to help him persuade this old teacher to come out of retirement. His name's Horace Slughorn."

"Oh... We thought —" Hermione hushed him, Ron was quick to correct his mistake. "— we thought it'd be something like that."

"You did?" Harry grinned.

"Yeah... yeah, now Umbridge has left, obviously we need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, don't we? So, er, what's he like?"

"He looks a bit like a walrus, and he used to be Head of Slytherin," Harry shrugged, then he glanced back at their friend and raised a brow. "Something wrong, Hermione?"

The girl gave a start, straightening in her place.

"No, of course not! So, um, did Slughorn seem like he'll be a good teacher?"

"Well, he's got a sharp mind no doubt," Erick yawned, laying on the mattress.

"He can't be worse than Umbridge, can he?" added Harry, softly kicking Erick to move him away from his legs.

"I know someone who's worse than Umbridge," Ginny walked in sulking. "Hi, guys."

"What's up with you?" Ron questioned.

"It's her, she's driving me mad."

"What's she done now?" asked Hermione.

"It's the way she talks to me — you'd think I was about three!"

"I know, she's so full of herself..."

"You better not be talking about my mum," Mel joked.

"Can't you two lay off her for five seconds?" Ron scoffed.

"Oh, that's right, defend her! We all know you can't get enough of her," Ginny rolled her eyes.

Harry and Mel shared a confused look, and just when he was about to ask the door opened again. The boy pulled up his covers so fast that Erick fell to the floor.

"Oh," Mel said quietly, staring up at Fleur Delacour.

"Children," she said brightly. "Eet 'as been too long!"

Mrs Weasley walked in right after her, looking upset.

"There was no need to bring up the tray, I was just about to do it myself!"

"Eet was no trouble," Fleur left the tray floating between their beds and kissed her and Harry on both cheeks. Erick got up with a scowl, he shook Fleur's hand, not letting her touch him any further. "I 'ave been longing to see you. You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you again."

"Oh... is she here too?" Harry asked.

"No, no, silly boy," Fleur laughed, "I mean next summer, when we — but do you not know?"

"We hadn't got around to telling him yet," Mrs Weasley said grumpily.

"Bill and I are going to be married!"

"Oh," said Harry, looking back at Mel begging her to help him. "Wow. Er — congratulations!"

"That's brilliant," Mel was unsure of how to react, none of the other women in the room looked happy.

"Bill is very busy at ze moment, working very 'ard, and I only work part-time at Gringotts for my Eenglish, so he brought me 'ere for a few days to get to know 'is family properly. I was so pleased to 'ear you would be coming — zere isn't much to do 'ere, unless you like cooking and chickens! Well — enjoy your breakfast!"

She turned around and left the room with a joyous air, then Emily walked in, holding her son.

"Hi kids," She smiled.

Mel jumped out of bed and gave her mother a big hug. She took her baby brother and kissed him all over his small face. Mrs Weasley muttered something Mel could not hear, Ginny inched closer and started to play with Reggie's little fingers.

"Mum hates her," the girl told her, clearly talking about Fleur.

"I do not hate her! I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!"

"Well, it's not like we all have time to spare, do we?" Emily asked carefully, brushing the hair away from Mel's forehead.

"They've known each other a year," said Ron crossly.

"Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course. It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left, right, and center—"

"Including you and Dad," Ginny smirked.

"Yes, well, your father and I were made for each other, what was the point in waiting? Whereas Bill and Fleur... well... what have they really got in common? He's a hard-working, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's —"

"A cow," Ginny replied. "But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a Curse-Breaker, isn't he, he likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour... I expect that's why he's gone for Phlegm."

"That's exactly what people used to say about me and Matthew," Emily raised a brow. "Now they tell me we were the perfect couple! You see, time's all it takes to change one's opinion, I think we shouldn't talk about relationships that aren't ours."

"I think she's lovely," Mel shrugged, softly kissing her brother's cheek. "You guys are being too harsh on her. I mean, Ginny, you're beautiful —"

"I'm sorry, Mel, I have a boyfriend," She joked.

"— But that doesn't mean you're silly, does it?" Mel sat down on her bed. "Have you forgotten how nice she was to Ron after he helped her sister?"

Mrs Weasley left looking rather tired, Emily kissed Mel, Harry and Erick on the cheek before leaving, leaving Leon Regulus in the room.

"Don't you get used to her if she's staying in the same house?" Harry chuckled, staring at the way Ron was struggling to breathe.

"Well, you do... but if she jumps out at you unexpectedly, like then..."

"It's pathetic," said Hermione, without even asking she took Regulus out of Mel's hold, ignoring the girl's protests.

"I feel your pain, Ronnie, don't listen to them," Mel sighed, leaning back on the bed frame.

"You don't really want her around forever?" Ginny insisted. "Well, Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything."

"She shouldn't!" Mel replied. "What would you feel if you were deeply in love with someone and everyone tried to keep you away from them? You're own family!"

"How's she going to manage that, anyway?" asked Harry.

"She keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner. I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family."

"Yeah, that'll work," Ron snorted. "Listen, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around. I mean, Tonks is okay-looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and her nose, but —"

"She's a damn sight nicer than Phlegm,'' Ginny made a face of disgust.

"And she's more intelligent, she's an Auror!" said Hermione, Reggie cried a bit and Ginny took it away from Hermione.

"Fleur's not stupid, she was good enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament," Harry argued.

"Not you as well!" Hermione scowled.

"I suppose you like the way Phlegm says ' 'Arry,' do you?" Ginny huffed.

"No," said Harry, blushing a bit, "I was just saying, Phlegm — I mean, Fleur —"

"Oh, please," Mel snorted. "You're just upset because Bill is your favourite brother, Ginny — you're scared he'll stop hanging out here once he marries Fleur. Hermione, I know you're lying, you're not angry because she isn't smart enough for your standards."

Hermione blushed a deep shade of red.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Sure you don't," She grinned. "But you know she's not any of those things, I know you do. I mean, so what if she's confident, as long as she loves Bill like he deserves, right? Don't you want him to be happy?"

Ginny looked at Reggie for a long time, then she sighed heavily.

"I would like her to respect our way of handling the house, that's all..."

"That's understandable," Mel nodded. "But she's the one having to get used to the Weasleys, and if I may give my opinion, you guys are as peculiar as any French girl."

Ginny's face showed a small grin.

"In my opinion," Erick spoke casually, grabbing a toast from the tray. "Fleur's too ostentatious — but she knows how to use her charm, which means she's got a brain. Joseph told me she was a great conversationalist—"

"Can't you talk like a normal bloke?" Ron frowned. "Do you like her, yes or no?"

"I'm saying she's nice."

"Nice?" The redheaded boy asked in bewilderment.

"She's not my type," The older boy rolled his eyes.

"What's your type, then?" Ron demanded.

Erick threw a quick glance at Mel before replying.

"Friendly."

"Okay, maybe Mel's right," Ginny continued, Reggie started to get restless and she swayed him a bit from side to side. "But I still get along with Tonks better, at least she's a laugh..."

"Well, she can still come and hang out, but you can't force love."

"She hasn't been much of a laugh lately though," Ron pointed out. "Every time I've seen her she's looked more like Moaning Myrtle."

"That's not fair," Hermione frowned. "She still hasn't got over what happened... you know... I mean, he was her cousin!"

Harry quickly looked down and busied himself with a spoonful of eggs, Mel grabbed a cup of tea and drank half of it in one large sip.

"Tonks and Sirius barely knew each other! Sirius was in Azkaban half her life and before that their families never met —"

"That's not the point — She thinks it was her fault he died!"

"How does she work that one out?" Harry asked, his mouth half-full.

"Well, she was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, wasn't she? I think she feels that if only she had finished her off, Bellatrix couldn't have killed Sirius."

Mel tried to remember, there was a huge part of that night she couldn't recall.

"That's stupid," said Ron.

"It's survivor's guilt. I know Lupin's tried to talk her round, but she's still really down. She's actually having trouble with her Metamorphosing!"

"With her — ?"

"She can't change her appearance like she used to. I think her powers must have been affected by shock, or something."

"I didn't know that could happen," said Harry.

"Nor did I, but I suppose if you're really depressed..."

Mel suddenly looked down at her hands and gulped. She hadn't tried to do any kind of magic ever since she'd come back from the Ministry, now a new fear was rising above everything else, the possibility of not being able to be as good as before because of her anguish.

"Ginny," Mrs Weasley walked in again, "come downstairs and help me with the lunch."

"I'm talking to this lot!" Ginny exclaimed, her attention quickly leaving Mel's brother.

"Now!"

"She only wants me there so she doesn't have to be alone with Fleur! Emily's too tired all the time, mum doesn't let her do anything..." The girl got up to leave the room, but Mel stopped her.

"Hey, give that baby back!" She demanded. "I was holding him first!"

Ron stood up and took the baby, claiming no one ever allowed him to play with him. Ginny turned around swiftly, mocking the way Fleur would usually move, once she got to the door she looked over her shoulder one last time before leaving.

"You lot had better come down quickly too!"

Harry, Mel and Erick ate silently while Hermione examined some boxes, Ron was now playing with Reg.

"What's this?" Hermione held up a small telescope.

"Dunno, but if Fred and George've left it here, it's probably not ready for the joke shop yet, so be careful."

"Your mum said the shop's going well," Harry mentioned. "Said Fred and George have got a real flair for business."

"That's an understatement. They're raking in the Galleons! I can't wait to see the place, we haven't been to Diagon Alley yet, because Mum says Dad's got to be there for extra security and he's been really busy at work, but it sounds excellent."

"And what about Percy? Is he talking to your mum and dad again?"

"Nope."

"What a git," Erick muttered, drinking his tea while watching Hermione examine the telescope.

"But he knows your dad was right all along now about Voldemort being back —"

"Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right," said Hermione. "I heard him telling your mum, Ron."

"Sounds like the sort of mental thing Dumbledore would say," said Ron.

Mel didn't try to contradict him this time.

"He's going to be giving me private lessons this year," Harry said casually. "Mel already finished hers and he'll have time to teach me."

Hermione gasped, Erick merely looked up from his food.

"You kept that quiet!" Ron exclaimed, Mel's brother slipping from his hold without him noticing.

"I only just remembered. He told me last night in your broom shed."

"Blimey... private lessons with Dumbledore! And he said you're ready to go, Mel? I wonder why he's—?"

"Careful with Lee before you drop him flat on the floor!" Mel scowled. "I see why no one lets you hold him..."

"I don't know exactly why he's going to be giving me lessons, but I think it must be because of the prophecy," Harry continued to speak, eyes fixed on his food. "You know, the one they were trying to steal at the Ministry..."

Erick pulled out his wand and with a quick movement, his plate started to follow him around the room. He took Leon Regulus and mumbled something about the baby needing a nap and Ginny needing help back in the kitchen. Mel wished she could've left with him.

"Nobody knows what it said, though," said Hermione once the Slytherin was gone. "Mel broke it."

"Although the Prophet says —" Ron started.

"Shh!" Hermione interrupted.

"The Prophet's got it right," Harry forced himself to look up. "That glass ball Mel destroyed wasn't the only record of the prophecy. I heard the whole thing in Dumbledore's office, he was the one the prophecy was made to, so he could tell me. From what it said... it looks like I'm the one who's got to finish off Voldemort... At least, it said neither of us could live while the other survives."

She wished she could've spent at least one day without thinking about the prophecy, but Harry had to live knowing that he'd have to face Voldemort, so she couldn't complain.

BANG!

Hermione vanished behind a cloud of dark smoke.

"Hermione!" shouted the three of them.

The girl stood up, coughing.

"I squeezed it and it — it punched me!"

"Don't worry," said Ron biting his lip so he wouldn't laugh, "Mum'll fix that, she's good at healing minor injuries —"

"Oh well, never mind that now!" said Hermione, pushing it aside. "Harry, oh, Harry... We wondered, after we got back from the Ministry... Obviously, we didn't want to say anything to you, but from what Lucius Malfoy said about the prophecy, how it was about you and Voldemort, well, we thought it might be something like this... Oh, Harry... Are you scared?"

"Not as much as I was," Harry shrugged. "When I first heard it, I was... but now, it seems as though I always knew I'd have to face him in the end..."

"When we heard Dumbledore was collecting you in person, we thought he might be telling you something or showing you something to do with the prophecy. And we were kind of right, weren't we? He wouldn't be giving you lessons if he thought you were a goner, wouldn't waste his time — he must think you've got a chance!"

"Of course he does!" Mel got up, starting to pick up the pieces of the tray that had smashed when the boys ran to help Hermione. "Harry's a great wizard, we just need to teach him how to fight..."

Her friends looked at her with pity, they must've been thinking of her lifeline connection with Harry and how it could affect her, but Mel couldn't look afraid or else they wouldn't believe her words.

"Guys, we'll get through this..." Mel looked down a the tiny scars on her palm, rubbing them gently.

"That's true," said Hermione. "I wonder what he'll teach you, Harry? Really advanced defensive magic, probably... powerful countercurses... anti-jinxes... probably the same things he taught to Mel. And evasive enchantments generally— Well, at least you know one lesson you'll be having this year, that's one more than Ron and me. I wonder when our O.W.L. results will come?"

"Can't be long now, it's been a month," said Ron.

"Hang on, I think Dumbledore said our O.W.L. results would be arriving today!"

"Yeah, that's true!" Mel admitted, leaving the broken plates on the desk.

"Today? Today? But why didn't you — oh my God — you should have said —" Hermione squeaked. "I'm going to see whether any owls have come..."

Ron and Hermione left the room quickly, Harry and her were left alone, but this felt a thousand times less awkward than a year before.

"Thank you," Harry said, helping her fold the blankets.

"I didn't do anything. You know they're scared, even if they don't show it..."

"I'm thanking you because it must be hard for you as well, not to show it," He tilted his head. "Usually, you're an open book..."

"I used to be," She corrected. "My feelings are just mine, Harry, and no one else needs to know about them."

He frowned.

"Still, you know it's better not to hold things in, right?"

Mel stared at him.

"Look at you, teaching me about how to handle my emotions!"

The boy let out a chuckle and reached to hold her hand.

"It's going to be okay, Mellow."

She melted at the name, it'd been a long time since he'd called her that. She looked down again at her scarred hand, and that stirred her into talking. An idea started to take form in her mind.

"What if there's a chance you don't have to be the only chosen one?"

Harry blinked.

"What?"

"What if I am your backup?"

"H-How would that even..?"

"Think about it," Mel started. "I was there when he tried to kill you, and that's when our connection was created — it grows stronger when you inch closer to death... What if the reason we can feel each other's pain, is because it warns us about the incoming danger? What if the reason we're connected it's because I'm destined to take your place if you die?"

"But — but the prophecy said it was a boy —"

"Prophecies can change, you're not obliged to copy them exactly as they're told! Even Dumbledore thought I could be the child of the prophecy! What if, in a way, we both are?"

"It doesn't mean anything, Mel. I chose to be —"

"Who says I can't choose to help you?" She lifted her right hand. "I marked myself with the prophecy, see? If we do this together we'll have a real advantage. We even promised it back in the ministry, didn't we? If you die I take your place, if I die —"

"I make sure is not in vain," Harry had finally made up his mind. "D'you think Dumbledore knows? Do you think that's why he wants us to decide for ourselves what we'll do with our lifeline?"

"I have no idea," Mel responded sincerely. "But if we're doing this, we need to set the rules now."

Harry thought about it, then he grabbed her hands and squeezed them lightly.

"Let's talk."

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @reverse-hxlland @hamiltonwc @omiwashere @t-rexs-world @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @dielgonacoffee @thelastpyle @cedricisnotdead @aconfusedslytherin

#twoidiots writing #hp fanfic #Harry Potter #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter xoc #WITT fic

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rip-a-dip-dip-you-potato-chip · 4 years ago

Text

what have I created?

idk if yall like this, but they just exist not i guess :/

ok the the first one is Royalty AU

first things first, when I say Royalty AU, I don't mean the classic shit we've all become accustomed to. Im talking about the good old Chinese royalty! And I want to emphasize that these guys will/should be dressed in century appropriate attire. As someone thats read a handful of 'marinette, princess of china' fics from the ML Fandom, I've noticed a common trend. Marinette wouldn't be in the culturally appropriate clothes, always ballgowns. Not that there's something wrong with it, its just most of if not all these fic are set in China, so I'd expect Chinese royalty to dress as THERE dress code calls for. And since this AU takes place far in the past like, it won't make sense for any of the characters to be in royal clothing that wasn't from there region. I'm not trying to white knight/gatekeeping. Im Guyanese not Chinese. But since JTTW and Monkie Kid take place in China, it's only right. In my opinion that it. You don't have to outright agree with me.

With out of the way, it's time for that good old AU crack

- Wukong is the king of the Flower Fruit kingdom(or a different one if you'd like, again I'm only familiar with what western culture has taught me, but I'll try my hardest)

- he’s single but rumor has it he used to/still is dating the Vigilante/thief The Six Eared Macaque

- *chants ShadowPeach violently*

- no one know whether it true or not

- On of his wanders around the kingdom he finds an abandoned baby in a basket.

- and no shit sherlock it's fucking baby Xiaotian

- I think we all know where this is going because i'm a simp for Monkey Dad & Monkie Son shenanigans

- Xiaotian becomes prince

Shit, ill be referring to Xiaotian as Mk from now on, I mentioned this before in a fic I wrote for lmk that Mk's a nickname for Xiaotian for some reason- wait i don't have to explain my self to you people!

- Sun loves his son

- MK is treated differently by staff and others because he's not blood related to the king

- no one mistreats MK per say, because there King loved his adopted son, but words are said behind his back

- Sometimes MK hears what’s said, and he feels as if he won't live up to his dad’s legacy.

- He meets Mei during a festival

- Mei is from a noble family, that wouldn't mind if they got a connection into the royal family.

- but it becomes hella clear to Mei’s family very fast that the two are just friends, and will always will be. but hey there daughter is bffs with the prince so that's a plus.

- the Demon Bull Family is rules a kingdom as well, I dont/am not creative enough to think of a name I leave that to you.

- It's a common misconception that DBK is a tyrant, when he’s not.

- most of the time...

- they have been at war with the Monkey King for some time now and settled for a peace agreement.

- that agreement being there sons to marry

- oooo original i know

- MK and Red Son are roughly the same age, Mk being 20 and RS 22

- RS is revolted/disgusted at the idea of being wed to the Monkey Kings child, even more so when he realizes MK is adopted,

- but, that all changes the second he meets MK while he meets him by accident when he gets kinda lost in the palace when he and his parents go to discuss the arrangements.

- the second he looks at MK, he's instantly in love. MK less so, he's nervous and honestly kinda bummed he's not marrying someone he loves but it's for the good of his ppl, and he'll do anything for them.

- RS isn't even aware that MK is Suns adopted son until MK walks him back to the meeting room.

"Oh There you are MK! I was about to have a servant go fetch you!" Sun Wukong says, gesturing for his boy to come sit with him.

"S-sorry for keeping you waiting I got caught up in my lessons with Mr. Tang" MK responds, sitting next to his father. Red Son looked gobsmacked. The beautiful young man he had bumped into, was the prince of this land? Damn, life truly blessed him. Or cursed him depending on how you looked at it.

- the two are left alone in a separate room for a while.

- And MK straight up tells RS why he's agreeing to this union.

"Look Red Son. I've dreamed about meeting my one true love for a while. And I would give almost anything for that dram to be real. But I wouldn't ever dare give up my people, for as there price they mean more to me. I'm doing this for them, no other reason" MK says, his back straight and hands folded neatly in his lap. The look in his eyes was a mix of sadness, but that was drowned out by loyalty and determination. It just made Red Son fall for him even harder. Clearing his throat Red spoke.

"I understand, for im doing this for the betterment of my people to. But I propose a wager"

"A wager?"

"Yes, if i can make you fall in love with me by years end, before our marriage, we can live together like in the fairy tales from far away. But if I fail, in a years time afterwards you will be permitted to find your own path in life" Red Son stated. MK took a moment to process what was happening.

"So, if you succeed in making me fall in love with you, before our marriage we can live happily ever after?" Red Son nodded in response, letting the younger continue.

"And if I shouldn't fall for you, in a years time after our union, im free to leave?" Red Son nodded once more.

"So, what do you say?"

...

"Deal"

In the end, your free to choose their fate, should Red Son win the hart of Mk? Will he fail? Or will he let him go, and let him travel the country, after all Mk's a free spirit and keeping him trapped in a big house is like keeping a cannery trapped in a cage only for its song, only for it to dul. Or will the unthinkable happen and will both boys find their freedom? together or appart? I don't know, because that's all up to you 😉

personally, I’m partial to where MK and Red Son both find freedom together. Like they straight up run away together to somewhere far away and just live out there lives together.

this could also be genderbent thing as well. MK or Red as their respective counterparts. Again it doesn't have to be, but it’s whatever bro. im just spitting out the idea.

Also, there is a main side plot that they fight the WBS throughout the year as well, along with other shenanigans you wanna throw in.

____

The second is a My Hero Academia/BNH/MHA AU

truth be told i'm not a big fan of MHA i think it to over hyped(this is also coming from the same person that’s a Fairy Tail fan lol), and the fandom i don't even know how to describe that mess, but I will admit not the whole of its toxic since every fandom has some toxic members, some even more so.

I just sometimes find myself enjoying MHA AUs like the Fullmetal Alchemist, Danny Phantom, Evil!Deuk AU and several others.

to make it clear I don't see this AU taking place the same time as the main plot of the actual Anime/Manga. This could be either like 6-10 years before or after the plot idk bro. But i’ll do this after the main story plot of MHA, so keep that in mind ya? another thing, the gang is still in China, the top hero school in the world just so happens to be in Japan, and it’s only ever mentioned by Sun wukong and other pro heros. So MK never attended AU. in short it’s only ever mention/ reference.

- Mk was considered Quirkless as a kid.

- he was just a late blumer, i swear

- Mai’s Quirk is called Dragon.

- it pretty much works the same way as it does in the show(duh)

- Tang’s got a knowledge Quirk,

- my man can retain information and he’s basically an archive of information drawback being his personality lol

- Piggsy is a Animal that gained a Quirk

- in cannon to my current knowledge, there are two other characters that can confirm animals can become sentient. the characters being Fumikage Tokoyami, & Nezu the principal at the school UA.

- Sandy is just Conner Kent, aka he like superman but can't fly, or shoot lasers from his eyes. And blue.

I have two scenarios for Macaque and Wukong

*- The first one is that, Sun Wukong & Macaque are brothers. twins to be exact.

- they where legit people, but have mutation quirks that made them too like monkeys.

- the added powers were just a boues.

- Sun and Mac are close growing up, like there brothers but also best friends.

- the draw back to there quirks could honestly be whatever you want bro idk, same with the others tbh. Personally I like to think Sun just has lack of motivation, and Macaque needs to draw on other people's energy.

- Sun is a hero, Monkey KIng and Mac is a villain Six Eared.

- Sun was always treated has the golden child in the family, Mac always resented that, but there shitty up bring didn’t stop the two from being good brothers to one another.

- soon tho the resentment became hatred when Sun was able to attend UA in Japan, while Mac didn't.

- Mac be angy

- so he became a villain, and joined the Chinese branch of the LOV(league of villains)

- Sun doesn't know this till he finds out during the all out war during the main story. and by that time he’s a full on hero with is own agency(The Flower Fruit agency)

- when the hero's ultimately win and Mac is arrested

- This ultimately hurts Sun a lot, his brother was in jail now, arrested for his involvement and wrong doings, he knew nothing about this! this brother, his blood. A bad guy? why? he hadn't seen his brother since he left for UA, he hadn’t seen him when he came home, and started his agency.

- this just puts Sun into a funk so he’s not as active as he used to be, and he starts thinking he might need a successor

*- The second one is that they were two separate people that had similar quirks and both attended UA but Sun ended up in the hero corse. so 1A.

- Both Macaque and Sun have similar quirks, Sun’s is obviously more light based while Macaque’s is more shadow based(this applies to the first one as well)

- Macaque was placed in class 1B, U.A.’s High's Heroics Department, I believe, you can correct me.

- In cannon Class 1A and 1B both went to the training camp. I can see the teachers pinning Sun and Macaque against each other to hone their skills.

- And because of that they become great friends

- In fact when they graduate they both co-found there hero agency together in China and are a duo.

- But due to Monkey King’s popularity and Six Eared's association with shadows(people sometimes saying he has more of a villains quirk than a heros) the public see’s Macaque as Sun’s sidekick when thats far from the truth.

- now it’s up to you whether you think that Wukong and Macaque would be in a relationship together, but knowing how cooked we all are, ShadowPeach is a thing here more than likely.

- If you do or don’t support/ like the ShadowPeach aspect, the two would be living together regardless since its more cost efficient.

- They my be heroes but living costs are expensive!

- I would imagine there would have been a huge fight/argument between the two in privet of course, at there home.(or in there shared office if you want the extra angst of the other people they work with hearing them fight)

- If the two are dating, then this would either lead to an out right breakup, or Macaque just up and leaving with Wukong thinking he’ll come back once he’s cooled off. But after a week, with no sign of his partner, or him answering texts or calls, not even coming into work. Wukong gets worried that something might have happened to him. so there wouldn't be a confirmation if they were still a thing or not.

- But Wukong remains hopeful, despite the nagging at the back of his head, and gut telling him to go find Macaque, or atleast make a public statement, or even just tell another pro hero about it.

- on the not so shippy side, Macaque and Wukong still have there argument, and much like the ShadowPeach esc side, Macaque up and leaves, and isn't seen for weeks. the only difference here is that when Wukong comes home one night to there flat, most if not all of Macaques stuff is gone.

- where as if this was the ShadowPeach side, Macaque leaves all of his possession in the flat he and wukong share. for the simple reason being, he still loves him and wants to go back, but Macaque being Macaque can’t bring himself to do it, especially after seeing just how hurt Wukong looked when he yelled at him just before he left.

- in other words, ANGST DIALED UP TO A 10 BABY

- in either case, its a news report that confirms Wukong's suspicions that he desperately didn’t want to believe, and that is Macaque turning into a villain.

- much like if the two were brothers, Wukong just can’t take it and is no longer as active as he once was, and is thinking about, either A) Retirement B) Saying, “Fuck Society, Be Gay Do Crime” and join Macaque as a villain himself, or C) find a successor, and a way to bring Macaque back to there side, but most importantly, back to him.

- also extra points if you're after people's hearts and want to make them suffer; - If there dating, Wukong curle’s up in the bed he and Macaque shared, holding/wearing something of great value to Macaque and just crying himself to sleep, where as Macaque is getting wasted on alcohol, as he stumbles out of the bar he’s in, he either see’s something that reminds him of Wukong or while he’s trying to put his wallet back into his pocket, a photo of them on their first date fall’s out. and Macaque just cries in a nearby alley way. And it’s there where he gets indoctrinated into the League.

- If there just friends, macaque heads to the nearest forest and just levels it, where as Wukong just gets engrossed into his work, trying not to think about it. you could add you own spin on this, again i'm just spitballing.

- NOW BACK TO MK! :D

- Obviously MK is a huge Monkey King fan

- at Twenty MK has come to terms he's quirkless (HE’S NOT)

-for ANGST reasons MKs fokes kicked him out at this realization at 13.

- he works at Piggsy's Noodle shop, and has been since he was 14.

- don't need a quirk to drive or cook!

- the boy lives a content life with his new family, till DBK happens :D

- DBK runs a Mafia(in conjunction with TLOV) and has been in jail for like 5 years thanks to Monkey King, PIF and RS brake him out one night when MK's out making a late night delivery since Piggsy had the bright idea to go 24/7 service!

- one thing leads to another and Mk somehow manifest what looks like the Monkey King's staff, but its not, it’s MKs powers, it just so happens to be the same power the Monkey King has. And it practically goes down the same way in the pilot.

- but unlike the pilot Mk and Mei go straight to the FF Agency, after making a panicked call to Pigsy and Tang.

- one way or another Mk are lead into Wukongs office. Mei being forced to stay in the lobby.

- they have there convo, butterfly monkey squishing included.

- "And so, I want you do be my success-" BOOM 💥

- from there they rush downstairs and see that the lobby has been infiltrated by the DB fam, and you know fight.

- once the DB family seems like there down, PIF wisks them away. Much to Monkey King’s displeasure.

From there stuff kind plays out like cannon, the calabash ep is just a conjoint quirk the Demon bros have. As for EP9, ill have to script that one out myself lol. I'll get onto it as soon as my will to commit stabs me in the face. Till then have a dancing Kermit the frog.

Now if you'll excuse me, am about to Kermit a felony :D

(For legal reasons thats a joke)

Psst @writingamongther0ses its done

#lego monkie kid #monkie kid #lego monkie kid au #rip a dip dip wrights

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imagine-jjba · 5 years ago

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dates with the jojos!

may or may not have started to get carried away at the end. i feel like it’s okay, though. you guys get the x reader content you deserve. my personal favorites are the josuke and jolyne ones. though, the jolyne one might just be because i am totally in love with the girl, haha.

anyway, requests are open! you can request me on anon (i think) if you’re too shy to turn it off. however, you will be tagged if you decide to turn off anon, so i guess that’s just what you’ll have to decide between? anyway, please send in asks, i love to write these little things. however, i won’t do part seven and eight characters. i don’t know enough about them to do that, sorry. ;;;

i hope you enjoy this!

jonathan ;

jonathan would love going on any date with you, honestly. he would love to go to anywhere with you, as long as you were having fun and staying safe.

he would most likely take you to the nearby river to swim in. or, you two would go to a traveling carnival that had come around.

he would also let you choose whatever dates you wanted to go to. if you wanted to do something, he would follow your lead and take you there!

during those dates, he would of course buy you a plethora of things. after all, he is a fairly rich gentleman. you would have so many gifts and trinkets that you wouldn’t know what to do with them!

of course, if you two decided to stay inside for a change of pace, he would totally do that. you’d most likely end up reading a book or teaching the lovely joestar how to cook.

he’s very shy when it comes to affection, so if you offered him some while in public, he would be very flustered. though, he would still accept it and offer you some back.

at the end of your dates, he would tell you how much he loves and treasures you, kissing your cheek and walking you home. at home, you would receive one last gift before parting ways.

after your dates, you could find him gushing over you in his room. though, he wouldn’t tell anyone what he was doing in there. he just finds you adorable and wants to make you feel special, but doesn’t have much of an idea about how to do that besides feeding you all the love and affection that he can put into his actions.

his favorite type of dates are the ones where you two can just relax and have fun together. most certainly, it would be where you two could have a picnic. you would bring a basket of food and utensils while he would bring the blankets and other things that were needed.

all of the food you packed as homemade and very nutritious! jonathan likes whatever you make and is always hungry, so he enjoys the food very much. he tries not to scarf down the food, but he has a hard time resisting to urge too. after all, how could someone be so good at cooking? plus, it was just a meal for the two of you, even better! he really loves the time you two spend together and enjoys every minute of it.

once you two are done eating, you sit outside and bird-watch. it’s something that jonathan actually enjoys. he loves watching the peaceful nature around him. it also reminds him of danny, who he didn’t bring along with him. it’s a bit weird not to see the cute puppy around your boyfriend, but you knew that it was probably for the better. after all, you wouldn’t want to risk him eating all your food, would you?

you both spot many birds and try to list out all the details of them. it’s very peaceful and relaxing, leading to some moments where you lean into his broad shoulders and get into a comfortable silence. nature really is something wonderful.

joseph ;

joseph doesn’t mind going on dates. in fact, he loves going on them. especially fun and chaotic dates where you two run around town.

when you first meet up for a date, he very happily takes your hand and starts dragging you around to the places that he was planning on showing you. of course, you love him so much that you don’t mind his actions. all you really want to do is just spend time with the big goof.

he ends up taking you to the higher-end stores that sell comics, as well as movies. he’s a geek and is obsessed with those sort of things, always raving about the newest comic. depending on your interests, he would also take you to places where it had a mix of your favorites.

though, if you want to choose a date, he would let you. even if it’s not his ideal type of fun, he’s always willing to give something a try. just as long as it doesn’t involve too much work. if it does involve a lot of work, he’ll playfully complain about it, but afterwards, he’ll get to it. he doesn’t want to be too childish around you, but he can’t help it sometimes.

he also goes with the flow of things. you two always seem to have so much fun together. especially when there’s so many fun things around to do. though, the 1930s didn’t have much available, at the time.

there were many competitions, like the dancing until you dropped ones. he would probably like to participate in one of those for the fun of it, but he also doesn’t want to put too much strain on you. so, instead, he takes you out to watch some of those. it’s entertaining, to say the least.

he would also most likely show you a bunch of weird tricks he could do on dates. he wants to impress you! there were challenges of swallowing goldfish whole, at the time, so that was probably something he would do. and then he would probably use his hamon to try and spit it back out, which would be gross, but funny all at the same time.

at the end of your dates, he would make sure that you’ll be okay walking home. if he thinks that it’s too dangerous to get home by yourself (though, you’re fairly strong, he just feels a sense of protection), he’ll walk you home.

jotaro ;

most likely, you two would be spending your time at one of your houses. or, if you really wanted to go out, he would reluctantly follow you around.

on the days where you’d like to stay at your house, he would come over with (embarrassing for him, but cute to you) gifts. some of those gifts would be made by holly, as she sees you as someone reliable and good for her son. she also sort of forced him to give you the gifts, but he enjoys seeing your smile when you receive them.

eventually, when jotaro is settled down and you get some water for him, you start putting on the TV for some movies that you can watch. jotaro wants to try and be affectionate for you, but has no idea how to do that. when he tries to lean in to cuddle, you don’t really seem to get the hint. mainly, you’re just watching funny things on the TV and end up leaning forward in laughter.

eventually, he just wraps his arm around you, but he isn’t sure if that was the right move. you’re flustered, but lean not the touch with a gracious smile. you both watch TV until it gets boring. then, you bring out your small game collection you have.

that’s where the romantic moment ends, sadly. after you get out the games that you have, you start to teach him about the basic controls. it turns out that he doesn’t understand much of it, so you have to show him what the controls are with the game on.

eventually, he starts playing. he isn’t the best at it, but at least he’s not completely lost! you guide him around and help him figure out the controls to the game.

jotaro ends up getting frustrated, but doesn’t want to ask for help. he still has to at least appear somewhat cool to you, after all. so he’s determined to at least finish one level of the game to mak you proud. it takes a few rounds of losses before he finally understands the gist of it.

when he wins a round, you’re so proud of him that you end up grabbing his hand and raising it up, like how you sometimes see wrestlers doing in movies. you feel like a mama bird who just watched her baby bird grow up, at that point.

by that time, jotaro has to leave, so you clean up your things and give him a box of dinner to eat. it’s the least you can do to show your appreciation. at first, he doesn’t want it, but since you spent your time making it for him, you insist. eventually, he gives up and brings it home with him.

when he’s at home, he’s very grateful for the meal that you have made for him. holly’s glad that he found such a wonderful partner and is proud of him for having such a good day out. jotaro ends up eating the meal happily and is very appreciative of it.

josuke ;

when your friends finally leave you alone for the weekend, you two totally decide to plan a nice date together. before the date, you prepare a bunch of things for josuke, such as nice gifts you made yourself. after all, you’re a bit artsy yourself. josuke plans on paying for the meal since he doesn’t want you to use your hard earned money (though, he just steals his from his dad).

meeting up isn’t too tough, but since josuke has many friends around morioh, you end up seeing a lot of them. you even see your main group while walking down to the restaurant that josuke was taking you too. you end up getting a bit side-tracked and you all end up talking for a little while.

but once josuke remembers about the reservations, he makes sure to say goodbye to his friends before bringing you along. he’s very proud of himself for setting up this plan! you can see it on his face, the way he proudly marches forward with your hands intertwined together. it’s a very cute look on him.

you get to the restaurant and, what a surprise, it’s tonio’s restaurant! well, it’s not that much of a surprise, but you know it’s very delicious there. when you go inside, tonio greets you two and sets you down. he lightly mentions that the two of you must be on a date, which makes the both of you blush and laugh awkwardly.

josuke personally goes to the back of the kitchen and politely asks tonio to not use pearl jam in his cooking. he doesn’t really want one of those weird happenings with the meals, especially if the two of you are supposed to be on a nice date. tonio comes to an understanding, but he lets pearl jam help out in the kitchen, at least.

coming back to the table, while you wait for your food, he starts to give you his first gift. depending on your interests, he tailors it to that. if you’re an artist, he’ll give you a nice pen you’ve been wanting for a while now. if you’re interested in plants, he’ll give you a small plant friend to grow. going along with the plants idea, you name it after crazy diamond since josuke was so kind to you.

you end up giving him your gift as well. whatever it may be, josuke treasures it all the same. if it’s something for his hair, he’ll proudly put it on for you. if it’s something else that he enjoys, he’ll thank you endlessly for the precious gift.

after you talk for a while and exchange your first gifts, tonio brings in some food. like promised, pearl jam isn’t in the food, but you’re always a little wary of it. even if josuke is eating it just fine without any... reactions, you’re still paranoid. don’t worry, though, your boyfriend is right there to reassure you that he personally asked tonio to not have pearl jam inside the food. it calms you down and you’re able to eat your food in peace.

after eating, josuke pays tonio a generous amount, along with a nice big tip (courtesy of joseph’s wallet) to thank him for everything. he’s very appreciative of it! you don’t stay for ice cream since josuke thinks that you guys should walk and see the night sky. it’s romantic and cheesy in his head, sure, but he really wants you to enjoy yourself.

once you two get outside, you both start talking about whatever you’d like. if it were about the adventures that you two had, josuke would be very fond of it and the memories he shared with you and all of his friends. this would be the time where you could slip in a compliment or two, which would make him a bit flustered, but he’d compliment you back.

once you get to the ice cream parlor that he wanted to take you at, you get your own chance to pay for the ice cream. josuke would like to pay for that as well, but you keep your foot down and insist on paying.

after you et the ice cream, you both continue to walk until you finish your ice creams and throw the trash away. then, josuke walks you home, making sure you’re safe. he knows that the town that you live in is a dangerous, filled with many stand users that could possibly come into contact with you two. though, the threat of stand users never come and you two are safe. once you get to your doorstep, you give josuke a kiss on his cheek and a hug.

josuke gives you one last gift, a very nice bandana. it’s something that you weren’t expecting, but he thought it would look cute on you. you end up wearing it all the time after your date. josuke feels a sense of pride in getting you a gift that you used so often.

giorno ;

giorno is very kind and generous on your dates. he would love to spoil you in any way he could. of course, he already does that regularly. but even more so when you two find yourself in such a romantic and intimate setting.

he finds that he wants to give you the time of your life. so, he takes you to a place that he’s very fond of and that he’s hope you’d enjoy as well. of course, this is an art museum we’re talking about. he likes looking at all the paintings and interpreting them in his own means. he just hopes that you find the trip just as exciting and enrapturing.

you both have your duities to the bucciarati gang, considering that giorno is the don to passione now. however, he feels as though he should treat you right, no matter the circumstances. so, you end up going to the museum anyway.

as you enter the room, you can smell the distinct smell of luxury. it’s not something that you could describe to anyone, but it’s there in the air. you can also smell the hint of paint. but most of all, you can see the luxury all around you. how the large paintings on the wall were framed with golden, intricate frames. how the texture of the paints rose off of the canvas just slightly. it’s breathetaking, really.

you two walk around, holding hands and whispering to each other things about the paintings that you notice. there’s so many things about them that were so amazing, especially the paintings of portraits and scenaries. the experience of this is very intense.

giorno also makes sure to keep you close to him, not wanting you to get lost or anything in the giant space. when you start to drift apart from him, he’ll get a bit anxious. after all, every time you two go out together, even in a group setting, it’s always intense and nerve-wracking. people might be out there, trying tot ale down the leader of passione.

but you come to his side and reassure him that everything is okay and that you’re not hurt. you two have a special code, just in case something doesn’t seem right. if you don’t use it, then giorno relaxes himself and starts to have a better time viewing the paintings again.

you even see other art pieces, like glass sculptures and whatnot. they’re encased in a special glass, just so no one can touch them. but even from where you’re standing, you can appreciate the beauty.

as you walk through the museum, giorno looks at your face and how amazed you seem. he isn’t new to all of this. in fact, he’s probably been there before. but he does find it very interesting to see your face light up in awe and excitement.

at the end of the museum, he brings you back to the hideout that giorno stays in. you end up sleeping over, because you really don’t want to go back home. it’s very comfortable for you to stay there. you both cuddle there, wrapped up in each other’s arms. it’s very intimate and just a soft moment for each other. you’re both finally able to relax.

jolyne ;

this gal isn’t the type of gal to go on a date at a reasonable time. nope, not at all. she calls you at one am, telling you that she’s bored. of course, you tell her the obvious and that it’s one am, but she doesn’t seem to care. she just tells you to meet her at the movie theaters because she’s bored.

so, you meet her there, sneaking out of your house. this plan is rediculous, but you love her to bits and pieces, so you can’t deny her going to the movies for a nice date. at the theater, she’s already there, waiting for you on her phone. she’s wearing something really casual, just a simple outfit that’s comfortable. you, however, look stunning to her. even if you’re wearing your casual clothing as well, she thinks you look beautiful. she tells you as such, it makes you very flustered.

when you decide on a movie, you both find an action movie that seems really good. so, you end up buying tickets and getting popcorn. though, you don’t have to worry about other snacks, she’s snuck then in the pockets that she could easily hide them in. you don’t find it too bad to be sneaking in snacks, it’s not like the people there care, anyway.

once you sit down and the movie starts playing, you’re very attentive. jolyne also is, of course, but she’s switching between watching you and actually paying attention to the movie. at least she understands the plot of it.

by halfway through it, however, you end up falling asleep. it’s a weird position o be falling asleep in, especially in a cramped chair, but jolyne makes sure that you’re a bit comfortable by giving you a shoulder to lean on. idly, she finds her hands in your hair as she watches the rest of the film.

when it’s time to leave the theater, she shakes you awake and tells you that the movie is over. you wake yourself up before getting out. jolyne would take you home, but she’s also starving. you, in fact, are also a little hungry, so you both go into a small dine in restaurant that’s somehow still opened.

it’s a little dirty there, but that’s the joy of it. there’s other adults there, some older than you and some your age, all huddled in there small groups. it’s already almost theee am, though, so when you walk in, the people behind the counter seem to be a bit tired. no matter, however, you find yourself sitting down at a booth across from jolyne.

talking between the two of you is fun as you mention how you met up in the first place. of course, it was a nice meeting together. you’re very fond of the memories that you have together and jolyne thinks the same. she doesn’t mind bringing up those fond moments you have together. it’s very intimate, as well.

once your food comes in, you eat in a comfortable silence. there isn’t much to talk about, but you’re both fine with it. you and jolyne share a breakfast meal as well, coming in with whatever you’d like. she doesn’t mind, just as long as it’s something.

when you’re finishing eating, you start a conversation again, talking about if your friends were awake right now. some of them most likely were, but you didn’t want to call them and find out. after all, even if jolyne didn’t mention that it was a date, you hoped that it was just for the two of you.

at the end, when you’re walking back home and have to split ways (you don’t live too near each other, but close enough to where you can safely walk to your house), she ends up giving you a kiss on the cheek and a small joke. as you’re flustered, you find her laughing. it’s a very cute look on her, but you decide to keep that thought to yourself. however, you do wish that you could capture the moment.

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aboutcaseyaffleck · 4 years ago

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Casey Affleck Gets Philosophical About Life, Time & The Whole Damn Thing

“Time,” reflects Casey Affleck, “is something I have been thinking about lately. It is ironic how the older you get, the better you are at being patient. With less time left, people become better at waiting. But this year, I feel much older and a lot less patient. I guess you’ve got to accept that time is never wasted? That doing is no different than not doing? That you can’t kill time no matter what you do, and that no matter what you do you can’t prevent the opposite from happening either? I don’t know. It’s a double-edged sword.”

It’s a Wednesday afternoon in early January, and Affleck and I are doing the Zoom thing, ostensibly to discuss his two new movies, the recently released indie Our Friend and the upcoming 19th-century period drama The World to Come. Yet our virtual tête-à-tête has become far more interesting, jumping wildly from his love of trains and travel to weightier topics like family, the future and the search for something more, something meaningful.

“I like the idea that time is an illusion. That past, present and future are all happening at once. I like it even though I can’t totally get my head around it. But either way, the me in the mirror gets older every day.”

Like most of us, he’s not only had plenty of time on his hands in recent months, housebound in L.A., but he’s tried to use his downtime wisely. “I tried to use this year of quarantine constructively,” the 45-year-old Oscar winner says. “I tried to see it as a winter season for shutting down and restoring something inside, but I just couldn’t. I’m not that evolved, I guess. I didn’t take up a new hobby or learn an instrument or get better at ‘self-care.’ If anything, I let my better habits and routines fall off. It was all I could do to keep my head above water and help buoy my friends and children when I could.”

As a guy with two teenagers at home — Indiana, 16, and Atticus, 13 — it hasn’t been easy, but he’s doing his best. He tried taking his sons on their annual camping road trip over the summer, but it was short-lived. Instead, he’s been focusing on making a happy home. “My kids don’t get to see their friends a lot, so I’m doing a lot more stuff with them, coming up with activities for the three of us, which they mostly hate, and I mostly let drop. And then I try again with the same outcome 90 percent of the time.”

While trying to create innovative plans to sustain his boys, he came up with one he thought might do some good, too. In June, he launched Stories from Tomorrow, a social-media initiative focused on creative writing by kids.

“At the beginning of all this last March, the first thing that occurred to me was that the quarantine would have a big impact on young people’s emotional well-being — the disruption they’re going to feel is really going to affect their mental health more than anyone else,” he says. “When I would sit down to write creatively, I felt better. But I couldn’t get my sons to journal or do creative writing much. I didn’t want to twist their arms about it. So I was like, ‘I’ll make a social media platform that inspires young people to write creatively, because it is such a good way of working out difficult feelings. And the way I will do that is have well-known people read the kids’ writing publicly.’ I knew that hearing your own writing read was exciting. I thought it would be really inspiring, that creative writing would be a great outlet for kids stuck at home.”

He enlisted some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Robert Redford, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Jon Hamm, Matthew Broderick, Kyle Chandler and Danny Glover, as well as two current costars, Vanessa Kirby and Jason Segel, and arranged for donations made through the program to go to children’s hunger nonprofit Feeding America and Room to Read, which supports female education. He reached out to schools in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Haiti, hoping to create a global community.

Affleck was excited to make progress, to have done some good, but the initiative didn’t take off as planned. “In the end, an Instagram account for creative writing by tweens just couldn’t possibly compete with the quintillion bytes of daily data generated online. I don’t know. But I tried! And anyway, since then lots of other organizations started doing basically the same thing, and they are more organized than I am, and they have done a better job. So be it.”

Yet, adults have been disrupted, too, including Affleck himself, who is aware that, relatively speaking, he has gotten through mostly unscathed. “Am I happy? I mean, I’m relatively okay. It’s been a hard time to find balance and to keep it. I would say it’s been a hard time in my life, but I know that it’s been harder for other folks. So far we haven’t lost anyone, and we haven’t lost our house. And I rediscovered that when you’re feeling bad, there’s nothing better to do than to try to help other people. Being of service not only helps others but is a great way of getting outside of yourself. Also — and I really believe this — I think this time will be remembered as one when our country made leaps and bounds in the right direction; we are changing and growing and it’s uncomfortable, but we will be much, much better. I wish I could see the next couple hundred years. It’s going to be amazing.”

At the end of the day, it’s family that’s keeping him going. “Having my kids around and being able to spend so much time with them has been amazing. It is the brightest silver lining in all of this. They are what gives me the most joy. They are funny and smart and interesting and interested. They are just the best company ever,” he says. “Anytime I try to parent out some ‘teaching moment,’ I find they are two steps ahead. They help me make sense of stuff just as much I help them, if not more. I don’t have any answers, but batting the questions around, back and forth, is a good way of coping.”

CALEB CASEY MCGUIRE AFFLECK-BOLDT feels he is luckier than most. Although he and many of his peers have gone jobless for a full year, he spent 2019 working hard. He had not one but three films done and dusted prior to the start of the pandemic; the last one wrapped a week before mandatory quarantine. Two of these have back-to-back release dates: the tearjerker indie Our Friend came out in January, and sweeping period drama The World to Come will be released February 12. Thriller Every Breath You Take is slated for later this year. “I am so, so, so glad I spent 2019 working that much. It is what kept us afloat all through 2020,” he says.

The films themselves are radically different, but there are a few common threads. In both of his winter releases, Affleck plays a man who has lost a family member and whose marriage is in shambles. In both, he is a man in pain.

In the LGBTQ masterpiece The World to Come, which revolves around the love that blossoms between two married women on the mid-19th-century American frontier, his character, Dyer, says very little but manages to convey a wealth of emotion with his eyes alone. He may seem stoic, but he is suffering.

“The World to Come is a story about a couple who have lost a baby. They’re dealing with the grief in totally different ways and having a very hard time coming together again,” he explains. “My character wants to heal that by having another, but his wife [played by Katherine Waterson] is coping in a different way. She is severing all emotional attachment to him because it triggers more and more grief. She [only] seems to come alive when she is with their neighbor, a woman on the next farm [played by Vanessa Kirby]. He wants his wife happy, but he also would like her to love him. To me, this is the story of how couples can have their relationship shattered by a sudden loss. And it’s definitely a beautiful story about two women who feel that they have to hide their love and find the courage to love each other anyway.”

Affleck likes layers. He himself has many, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’s drawn to roles written as fully formed characters, not caricatures. With Dyer, that’s abundantly clear. “Crisis is fun to play, [and Dyer] is in an interesting crisis,” he says. “I think he’s a really good person — a really decent, solid, loving person — which is what I loved so much about playing him and what I love so much about the writing. It’s more interesting when there’s no bad guy, just a conflict of circumstances and feelings that get so complicated that it drives two people apart.”

In Our Friend, a different set of circumstances drives the leads apart. Affleck and Dakota Johnson take on the true story of Matthew and Nicole Teague, whose imperfect marriage was strained by his long absences and her affair, neither of which seem at all important when she’s diagnosed with terminal cancer.

“To me, Our Friend is really a story about how petty grievances between people can divide them and then be forgotten when a gigantic tragedy is dropped in their laps. [Matthew] was wronged, it’s true — his wife cheated on him. On the other hand, he wronged her in a bunch of ways; [they] were just more passive and not quite so salacious. He wasn’t around. Matt got to be a dad and he got to travel the world as a journalist. He left her to take care of the kids. She wanted to have a life too, she had dreams of her own — she wanted to be a singer, she wanted to work — but she didn’t get to do that. She just got to be a mom. She was left holding the bag, and it wasn’t fair.”

He spent a fair amount of time immersing himself in the journalist’s life while filming in Fairhope, Ala., in 2019. (The film’s title is taken from Teague’s award-winning Esquire essay, “The Friend: Love Is Not a Big Enough Word.” The friend in question — played by Jason Segel — is a man who puts his life on hold to help the family during their darkest days.) But he did not become Matt Teague, which is an important distinction. “[Director] Gabriella Cowperthwaite asked that we not portray the personality traits of the real people. No accents, no mannerisms. [But] I did steal his style, because I had never seen someone nail the dad look any better than Matt. I say that with affection.”

As for the dreams Nicole gave up for her family, Affleck says, “If you were to ask Matt, I’m sure he would acknowledge that he was neglecting his role. He was neglecting her dreams, and that is a part of marriage, supporting what the other person wants. Like all relationships, it was complicated.”

Like life itself, really. This is why he can identify with both sides. He understands Nicole’s pain about the deference of her dreams as well as Matt’s desire to escape through travel — especially now, when Affleck himself has been completely grounded. Since the age of 17 he’s taken 20 cross-country road trips. His love of driving is secondary only to his enthusiasm for trains: Amtrak is his jam. He even fantasizes about owning his own train car one day.

Immersing himself in each location — whether it’s the sleepy Alabama town of Fairhope or the more exotic locale of Romania, which served as a stand-in for the East Coast of the U.S. in The World to Come — is actually one of the most desirable parts of the acting life, he says. “One of the things I love about working as an actor is that you go to some brand-new place and the community invites you in in a way that they don’t usually if you’re a tourist,” he confides. “You get to see what it’s like to really be there and imagine yourself living there.”

And he has — over the past ten years he’s spent so much time in cities including his hometown of Boston; Vancouver, British Columbia, the location of Light of My Life; Atlanta, where he shot the 2016 action flick Triple 9; Argentina, where he made Gerry; Dallas, for A Ghost Story; Calgary, Alberta, where much of the epic western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was filmed; Our Friend’s Fairhope set; Cincinnati, for The Old Man and the Gun; and Braddock, Pa., where he filmed the 2013 drama Out of the Furnace. “I have loved moving in and settling down and living a character’s life and then moving on. But I feel most at home in places that are struggling to get by. It reminds me of the neighborhood I grew up in. I feel lighter in those places, more relaxed. I feel like myself. I fit in.”

For him, the where is almost as important as the who — immersing himself in the place is imperative to understanding his character. This is part of what makes him such an accomplished actor — he and most of the parts he plays merge. I draw a crappy analogy about how the characters are like a coat, which he very obligingly works with. “You have to build the coat from all of the scraps and pieces of yourself; all these characters are made up of little pieces of me,” he says, noting, “Obviously, sometimes they can’t be. Sometimes I have no connection whatsoever, and those are the jobs I look back on and I either feel nothing for, or worse. But sometimes you have to take the job that is available, like most people in the world. You know? I don’t think my dad wanted to be a janitor. But he did it.”

He’s won an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Critics’ Choice Award, a Golden Globe and an Independent Spirit Award, among others, and appeared in films that run the gamut from box-office juggernauts like the Ocean’s 11 franchise and Tower Heist to indie darlings like brother Ben’s directorial debut Gone Baby Gone and Manchester by the Sea. He has even written and directed, most recently 2019’s Light of My Life, a bizarrely prescient movie about raising children in a pandemic. At this point in his career, he should have his pick of parts. “Not really,” he says. “There are a lot of people out there who have done good work, who are driven, and who have something to share. I have never been someone studios embraced as a ‘movie star,’ never knighted. I have always had to fight for the parts I have gotten. And you know what? That’s fine. Let me fight. It’s how I cut my teeth, and it is how I will keep them sharp. You can’t ask for more than a chance to be in the ring. Also, movies and TV aren’t all I care about. Sometimes I think, ‘Well, jeez, I have to work, and there are two jobs available to me, and the one that isn’t as good is the one that is close to home and I can see the kids, so I guess I am doing that.’ I love movies and really try hard to make them good. I really bust my ass every day when I get the chance to make one. I care more about my family than any movie. It’s not [always] the job I love, but this is the reality of my life. But maybe life will be long enough for a few more chapters.

The forward momentum of his future is an interesting topic. At the moment, he isn’t so much planning for the future as he is exploring it, because Affleck is not someone who likes to live with regret.

“I guess [at the end of the day], regret should be reframed as a reminder to be different,” he observes. And so, with this in mind, he embarked on a personal journey several years ago and decided to go back to college (at the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia). He had completed two years at Columbia University, but he never graduated — his film career kept getting in the way.

“I went back to school because I hadn’t finished, and I wanted to think about new things in a way that school can help you do,” he says. “I couldn’t go in person, so I found a strong online school and got started. You know, I’m 45, and I just thought, ’This is halftime. This is where you hit the locker room and think about how you want the rest of the game to go.’ You know what I mean? Like, ‘Okay, we went out, we played our best, we didn’t know what the other team was going to be like, we made some mistakes, we are in the game, so let’s adjust like this.’ Also, I’m not sure I want to be an actor forever. I had made a small pivot from acting into directing, and into producing more. And I like to direct movies. The most satisfying creative experience I’ve had in a long time was being a director. But ultimately it wasn’t quite enough. So I wanted to go study some of the things I was interested in. I wanted to do more with my life.”

Although he needed general credits to graduate, he found an unexpected passion for juvenile justice along the way, with a particular focus on alternative accountability programs. “I don’t know where this will lead me, or why I am so interested in it, but finding and implementing better systems for addressing harm and conflict among kids, adults too, but mostly young people, is something I care about. And the work that I have done so far has been fascinating and deeply rewarding.”

When I ask if this stems from his own experiences as a troubled kid growing up in Cambridge, Mass., with Christine, a single mom — his parents divorced when he was 9; his father, Timothy, an alcoholic tradesman, checked into a rehab facility in Indio, Calif., when Affleck was just 14 — he muses thoughtfully, “I love my parents and think they both did the very best they could and cared a lot. Period. Did I get into some trouble as a teenager? I got into some trouble when I was a kid, and I struggled a lot through high school with depression and substances, yes. Much of it I didn’t even know wasn’t normal. I don’t know if I was ‘troubled.’ Either way, as an adult, I’ve come to see that, regardless of how I compare to anyone else, I want less conflict in my life. That might be part of the reason why I’ve been so interested in learning about better ways of resolving conflicts, both with children and with grown-ups. It isn’t something they teach in school for some reason. Man, there is a lot they don’t teach you in school, huh? A lot you’ve got to learn on your own.”

And on this journey, mistakes will be made. That’s par for the course, and Affleck is no exception. “I have made so many mistakes, but life is the time for mistakes. I do believe people should hold themselves accountable and repair harm they have caused. That is important to me, and I try hard to do that whenever it is called for: apologize for mistakes and repair them,” he admits.

This is when our conversation, as such conversations are wont to do, comes full circle. Before we say goodbye, Affleck remarks, “You know, I heard Bono talking on Howard Stern’s show, and he said something about Frank Sinatra that was interesting. He said that he heard two versions of Frank singing ‘My Way.’ One version was recorded when Frank was young, and the other version was recorded when Frank was old. Each had the exact same words, same arrangement, same everything. But when Frank was young the line ‘I did it my way’ sounded proud, and when Frank was old it sounded humble. Whatever else time does to a person, I think it also does that.”

[source]

#casey affleck #interview #photoshoot #photo #quote

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inprogress-predicament · 5 years ago

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AU idea, that I will never write cause I am a bad writer

Defenders: Matt, Marci, Danny, Colleen, Misty, Trish, Malcolm, Vido and Gillian are the only ones from the “Super Circle” who survive the Snap.

Matt keeps Nelson and Murdock going, after a year or so of nonstop Daredeviling and borderline forgetting himself. But Matt gets it up and going again, provides help for anyone who lost everything in the Snap; kids who are funneled into the overflowing system, people who are loosing their businesses, those were reported snapped only to turn up a week later and now need to reclaim their lives. Marci was the one who pulled Matt out of the black hole. Marci had turned to the DA’s office after the Snap and would be a viable contender for election soon. Marci had seen enough of Matt’s angst over the years to know he’d need a life line. She passed him the cases the DA wouldn’t handle, and one by one, Matt returned to a 50/50 life. Matt tried to date once or twice, just to try normality, but after Elektra and Karen, Matt doesn’t think its safe for anyone to be close to him like that.

Danny and Colleen get married immediately, not just because they loved each other and there was just a cosmic sign that screamed “don’t waste your time with maybes”, but they saw a whole bunch of the world go to shit fast and they only trusted each other with their legacies. Colleen still patrolled Chinatown, but she also added in most of Manhattan to her usual route, because Misty was one-more-folder-in-her-pile away from breaking. Danny took to running the dojo, and it went form a safe haven during class, to a 24/7 shelter for street kids.

Malcolm and Gillian closed Alias for weeks after the snap, they both had things to handle. Once the door reopened, they had to instate a strict policy on missing persons. Any who hadn’t been seen since before the snap was not going to be looked for. Gillian pulled Vido from the system before he could get lost, his parent hadn’t been seen since the snap. She half forced Malcolm to let Vido live with him. Gillian had never been one to care to much for others, that’s why Jessica hired her, but Vido needed a home, and Malcolm’s apartment was a lot safer than hers.

The Raft didn’t hold for very long after the snap. With half the guards dead and no reinforcements coming, and no once sure who should be onboard and who shouldn’t be, Trish was off and back in New York in just under a month. When Trish couldn’t find Jessica anywhere, Malcolm’s apartment was empty, Alias was closed and there wasn’t a rooftop any with a familiar vigilantly on it, she retreated to the only safe place she could find. Eventually Malcolm came back to Alias, and had an unpleasant reaction to finding out Trish had been squatting in Jess’s bed. Trish kept up with only minor communication with Alias, instead she turned to doing what she had always wanted Jessica to do, clean up the streets. Neither Colleen nor Matt were fans of her initial willingness to kill, but for Jessica, Trish curbed her insticts. Because Trish knew Jessica wasn’t gone, she was just lost in the chaos of the snap, but Jess would be back and when she was, Trish wouldn't be able to look Jess in the eye if she was still killing.

Once Nelson and Murdock was back up, Matt wouldn’t change the name and legally there was no proof of Foggy’s death, even a year later sometimes someone who had been traveling would reappear in New York. Marci was the one who made sure that every single one of the Nelson kids who’d lost both parents and who’s few remaining Aunts and Uncles, ended up on her or Matt’s couch or with Sister Maggie, and saw their remaining family as much as possible. It was one of the older Nelson cousins who started nursing school and began running a triage center on the street in front of the shop. It didn’t take to long for the Nelson cousin and for Marci to realize what Matt was doing at night, but neither condemned him.

Danny reached out to Matt not long after he heard there was a Lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen keeping kids out of the system and with good people. Soon Matt and Colleen were running together and Danny’s students weren’t so worried about being ripped from homes every day or left on the street. The three remaining vigilantes of New York covered as much ground as possible, but even on their best days the world still felt empty.

Colleen fell into the habit of triple checking one everyone. She lost a third of her students, but she kept her best friend, her boyfriend/now husband, and Colleen was now doing more good for her city than ever before. It took years after the unsnapping for Colleen to stop triple checking on everyone, to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Matt and Daredevil became borderline (very separate) public figures. Matt had stopped caring who saw him that first year, going out dressed up in broad daylight. Daredevil once dropped a guy off literally on the police station’s door step at 2:00 on a workday, but the new unspoken code of the police was something along the lines of “take all the help we can get”. When Marci was running for DA, three years after the snap, Daredevil wore Marci’s campaign Tshirts as joke, and Matt always claimed she owed Daredevil her election. Nelson and Murdock had such a far reaching effect on the city’s rebuilding and stabilization effort that Matt’s name was somewhere in a paper four or five times a week.

By the time the unsnap happens, Vido is interning at Nelson and Murdock, Matt didn’t mean for it to happen but Vido needed someone who could understand his situation, and Matt couldn’t say no. Marci and Matt have both tried to have a better relationship, and while they have never become close friends, they’ve come to rely on each other more than anyone else before. Malcolm has perfected how to comfort someone he knows will never see their loved one again. Gillian has moved on but keeps contact, she says its for the free PI. Trish is finally on speaking terms with Malcolm, she’s keeping clean but still depends on an outside voice to be her consciousness. Trish is dating again, but everything is slow and its more to fend off the loneliness than actually enjoying each others company. Marci has married her work, some have asked her out, she’s asked some out but its never passed beyond one night stands, not for lack of her trying but there are many people willing to put up with her as a person. Danny and Colleen have discussed starting their family, but its never seemed like the right time, Danny has increased his ownership of Rand just to make sure he still have a voice but has decreased time at the company in favor of the dojo. Colleen is going out every night and neither are willing to put a baby in danger just be living their lives. The kids at the dojo are more than enough.

The everyone is unsnapped and all the work they’ve done to heal and move on however unsuccessfully, is undone and their world is pure chaos and reopened wounds.

#defenders #sorry theres not a lot of LC in here #I have seen one episode #I wrote ALOT more here than I meant to #I have an exam tomorrow and I'm not studying.#matt murdock #marci stahl #daredevil #jessica jones #malcolm ducasse #gillian #vido arocho #the snap #the blip #why did anyone think it was a good idea to call it a blip #danny rand #colleen wing #iron fist #netflix marvel

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