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igotanidea · 1 year ago

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Logical choice: Dick x reader part 1

summary: apparently he was in love with two girls and had to chose. Too bad his way of making a decision was worse than bad.

massive thanks to Laura @gone-batty-fics for proofreading this <3 <3 I'm terrible with punctuation xD

***

Being in love with a taken guy is like….

No, wait, scratch that.

There are no words to describe that.

How can you possibly find anything to use while saying how you feel when your brain goes short-circuits when you think about the guy you like with another girl and your heart is aching every time you see those two together?

How can you possibly explain the constant urge to cry and scream and lie down and die and throw up and sleep the pain away, all at the same time?

How many synonyms are there for the word hopeless?

Bet you were broken-hearted at least once in your life.

Y/N Y/L/N cursed the moment she met Dick Grayson, with his pretty smile, all his charm and his the golden retriever energy. All that niceness, chattiness, and everything he was and everything he wasn’t, got her mind spinning and falling faster then she could have imagined.

And she had no idea what to do about it.

Especially given the fact he quickly became one of her closest friends, which was shocking even to herself.

Y/N was usually the person to keep her walls up (hurt one too many times), act rather cold and distant, not getting involved with feelings (she was not very good with that and her poor boy experience made her cautious). But hey, the heart wants what it wants and Dick Grayson had a way of getting her to open up, laugh, and just be her unfiltered self. He didn't seem to mind her innate sarcasm and twisted sense of humor. Maybe, since he didn't hate her genuine self, she could make it work?

here was some undeniable connection between them. Maybe even something more than friendship, but for some reason none of them were able to speak their minds, instead circling around the subject, unable to meet in the middle.

Truly tragic how two souls yearning for one another could not connect just because the owners of those bodies were too shy and stubborn to say three words: I like you.

Even more tragic given the fact that Dick’s family were quick to notice something simmering under the surface, but decided to stay back since apparently it was none of their business.

Until.

***

“You do realize he’s in love with you?”

“What are you talking about?” Y/N frowned at Jason’s words. “Who are you talking about?”

This took her by surprise. Jason Todd wasn’t usually the person to go around gossiping and well, to be honest talking at all. He was the brooding type sitting in the corner, watching everyone with a murderous gaze trying to cover up for the fact how much he needed love and attention, instead using sarcasm to hide his vulnerability and sensitivity. Maybe, throwing a cutting, teasing comment from time to time, but this? This was completely not his style. And it made Y/N a bit uncomfortable.

“Cause I can’t watch you pining like this.” Jason scoffed, “It’s pathetic, you know” he almost rolled his eyes at the girl.

“You are pathetic, Todd.”She retorted, but couldn’t help the blush creeping on her cheeks and the sudden rise in her heartbeat. “What’s your business with gossiping? We’re not friends.”

“I know we’re not,.” Jason shrugged, “but apparently I’m the only one with the balls big enough to - ”

“Don’t flatter yourself,.” She cut him off with a smirk raising a gaze from her book,

“Is that what I get for helping you make your crazy little fantasy come true?”

“What fantasy,” she cried out in desperate confusion “Stop speaking in riddles!”

“You want to be with Dick. Whenever he's around, your eyes and body language practically scream it," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You’re reading way too much Jane Austen,.” she muttered, “And what’s with the silent creeping on me!?”

“I’m trying to help you out here!”

“No, you’re mocking me!”

“Y/N!” Jason cried out in frustration, not sure how to put his point forward without Y/N accusing him of being mean. He was not good with words, despite all his literature knowledge.

"What?!"

Y/N was fully aware that she was acting erratically, but the realization that being 'more than friends' with Dick was even a possibility? All of her logical thinking was suddenly on a very long foreign holiday.

“He fucking loves you!”

“And how the fuck do you know that?!”

“You’re unbelievable!”

“I’m just being cautious! I don’t need a broken heart!”

Jason exhaled deeply. Apparently he had to be the reasonable one here. He had known a lot about being insecure.

“Come on, Y/N… I’m not lying. Really. Why would I?”

“Do you really want me to answer that question,?” she asked, her eyebrows raised sceptically..

“Look…..”

“No you look, Jason…..” she raised her gaze at him, exposing all her vulnerability “I’m scared, ok?”

“I know. Trust me, I’ve been there. Still am…..”

“Why does it sound like you’re trying to use me as a guinea pig?”

“Huh?” her words got him confused

“You want to test whether it’s worth taking a risk, don’t you? Whether confessing is something that can actually end up in a good way?”

“Maybe a little.” Jason smirked

“Now that’s more like you.”

“Does it convince you though?”

She took a second to consider. Did it? Were Jason’s words enough to make her act on her feelings? To go to Dick and tell him how she feels? To create an opportunity to have a relationship? To be … happy in love, without all this worry.

“Yes…..” she whispered.

“Yes?” Jason mocked clearly egging her on.

“Fucking yes," she cried out, feeling a sudden surge of power and omnipotence.

“He’s in the batcave.”

She moved towards the door, ready to go and finish it all once and for all, to clear the messed up situation she found herself in. But before she rushed to the love of her life there was one more thing she had to do.

“Thanks, Todd. You’re not as bad as you try to look.”

“Keep that detail to yourself, will ya Y/N?” Jason said as he winked at her, being content she actually decided to listen to his advice and not see him as a villain.

***

“Dick…..?”

Poor Y/N had to fight the urge to burst into the cave reaching the speed limit of Flash. It was like all those years of holding back her true feeling finally made her crumble and the façade broke down and she needed to tell him now, now, NOW!!

“Y/N?” he sent her his signature smile, turning up from behind the computer and taking a few steps towards her. It was truly touching how he always stood up whenever she was in the room, like a scene from a freaking regency era London. “everything good?” the man added seeing her reddened cheeks and shining eyes. “you look sick……” he involuntarily put his palm to the woman’s forehead checking her temperature.

Sick in love….. she thought to herself, but obviously couldn’t use that particular wording.

“I’m good….I’m good….” She shook her head “I just have to tell you something …… something important and ……”

“Hey Y/N…..” another voice chimed into the talk, causing Y/N to crash with reality.

“Babs…..?”

It didn’t have to mean anything, right? The fact that Dick and Babs were all alone in the batcave? Surely they just talked about some Batman stuff Y/N was not let into?

She was not let in.

And that was emphatic enough, almost as if she wasn’t a part of the team.

Y/N blinked a couple times realizing she was so focused on Dick’s face, eyes and just generally on him, that ironically she didn’t notice his slightly messed up hair and blushing cheeks alongside with his disheveled shirt.

Oh…..

Her gaze involuntarily traveled to the other woman, eyes widening at the way her shirt were open, her bra revealed and the love bite on her neck visible.

Oh, shit…..

Fucking Todd…..

“What is it Y/N?” Dick asked fixing his hair, his blue piercing, concerned eyes focused on her. “Hey? Y/N? come back to earth…..” he put a hand on her shoulder gently trying to bring her back.

“What….?” Her mind was racing, her hands were trembling, her legs was close to giving up on her. She could barely register what was happening when Dick grabbed her hand and forced her to sit on the chair scared she might faint.

“Y/n……?”

His voice reached her as if through a fog.

“She looks so pale…..”Babs was equally concerned now, and her tone finally made Y/N snap back to reality.

“And she’s back….” Grayson crouched next to her chair, smiling at her softly “you got us worried, it was like your soul left your body for a moment.”

Well, not so far from the truth, was it……?

“Sorry….”she muttered, averting her gaze from Dick’s, but he was not going to take the bullshit, grabbing her chin gently and forcing her eyes on him.

“You wanted to tell me something?”

“Yes…. No…. I mean……”

“Y/N……?”

“So you two are a couple now?” she blurted the first thing that came to her mind, even though saying those words out loud made her sick to the stomach.

“Yeah…..” Dick blushed a little looking at Barbara, who had a similar expression on her face. “Life’s funny, right? Old friend who’s been around all the time, never really seen like a love interest and yet……” he smiled even more, interlacing his fingers with Bab’s.

It was supposed to be me!! Her inner voice cried out desperately bringing not only the sickness to the stomach but also a terrible headache.

“I’m so happy for you two…..” Y/N forced a smile. Fucking hypocrite.

“Thanks…..” the other woman beamed “I know how important you are to Dick so I was worried about your reaction of us getting together”

“Worried?” Y/N laughed only to cover for the scowl forming in the back of her throat “oh, you silly one…. You two match each other perfectly! I mean, Nightwing and Batgirl, it couldn’t get any better than this, right? Besides you …..we… know each other for so long…..it was bound to happen.”

I have to get out… I have to get out of here now!

“It really means a lot Y/N….. I’ve been wondering whether…..” Dick added and for a single second there was something inexplicable in his eyes, but he blinked and it was gone immediately. “nevermind…..”

Yeah, right, nevermind…..

***

It’s been two weeks of torture

Two weeks of bitterness.

Complete disaster.

Y/N was depressed, Dick was torn, Babs was confused and the atmosphere was far from friendly, since everyone could feel the tension and members of batfamily were trying their best to not takes sides, which was probably the greatest challenge.

But as the situation progressed, the one with the least experience in human relationships just had to break the peace. Forced, but peace nonetheless.

It was typical Friday afternoon and they were just hanging around, released from patrol, ready to have a movie night in the manor. Dick, Babs, Jason, Tim, Damian, Steph, Cass and Y/N, who were currently fighting with her own head and mind producing every excuse possible for a rain check on the marathon.

“why don’t you just tell him?”

“Hello to you too, Damian.”

“don’t change the subject Y/L/N.”

“Tell what to who?” she mocked almost rolling her eyes

“Don’t play dumb. It doesn’t work well for you.” Damian said with his usual flat tone.

“That does sound awfully like an indirect compliment…..”

“Just tell Grayson you like him.”

“You what?” oh, shit, the person in question was now standing in the door of the room, his eyes wide in shock, his whole posture screaming the feeling of betrayal.

“Dick….I…..”

“Shit, Y/n!”

“Stop yelling at me!”

“You’re the one yelling!”

“Do you want me to record your voice right now!?”

“You’re in love with me?!”

“How is that bad?!”

“Cause I’m with Barbara now!”

“Yeah, no shit!”

They were getting nowhere with this discussion and to tell the truth, neither of them probably wanted to. It was just dumping everything that’s been eating away at their livers. Suddenly Dick and Y/N found themselves in an unknown territory, their feelings completely exposed, unsure how to proceed without getting hurt and/or damaging one another.

Well there was not a good way out and at the moment screaming was something that at least helped them getting all that pain, fear and hurt out in the open.

“You can’t do that Y/N!”

“Maybe if you had the guts to tell me how you felt first it wouldn’t come to this!” she spat at him

“How I felt….?” Dick stuttered, clearly taken aback “what do you mean?”

“nothing….” She muttered, calming down in an instant. He was not supposed to know that she knew.

“Y/N!”

“fuck you!”

Whoops. Shit. Too much.

She was acting crazy, yes, but come on, cut her some slack, she was broken-hearted and a person with a damaged heart never acts sane.

“If that’s what you truly want then ok, fuck me….. you’re just making it so easy to make a choice here, Y/N!”

“You said it yourself, you are with Babs now!”

“It doesn’t change how I feel about you!”

“You what….?”

“You think I can just turn it off or something!?”

“Dick….”

“No….. no you’re right… I’m with Babs…..”

God damn it! It was like walking in circles. Two adults behaving in a worse way than kids in the kindergarten and no one could possibly stop the incoming storm.

***

And now she was in love with a taken guy.

A taken guy who could have been hers if only she was slightly faster to confess.

Apparently timing is everything and instead of being happy in love she was now forced to grit her teeth whenever dick and Babs were around together.

Which was pretty much all the time.

Well, they were pretty much together all the time before, but not like together together.

Maybe Y/N should have known…..

It was highly unlikely that a vigilante would keep his relationship with a civilian and much more probable that he would end up with another self-appointed crime fighter.

And Dick seemed happy so what was she supposed to do apart from dwelling in poorly hidden misery and listening to sad love songs while facing the ceiling with one single question in her mind.

What if…..?

***

The second dick saw Y/N in the cave a week ago, noticed her sad, confused and a bit lost expression he knew. Y/N loved him the same way he loved her.

But he was with Babs now. He felt for the Batgirl and was not going to leave. That would be a shitty thing to do, right? To leave a girl just because he what? Got bored? Changed his mind or went through a change of heart?

On the other hand, however, how shitty it was to do this to Y/N? He’s been in love with her for so long, always keeping his mouth shut about it, hoping she would somehow figure it out. And now, that she was finally ready to make it a reality, he was with another girl.

Get yourself together, Dick. You can’t just back out on Barbara. You’re with her now. You love her.

But Y/N…..

His first true love.. from a very young age, even before he knew what love was. All those years of waiting only to give up on the final stretch.

And the vulnerability he saw in her whole posture every time she was around. Those pretty doe eyes that never looked at him ever since the scene at the batcave.

They were still friends, sort of, at least, because to tell the whole truth, the situation between them was more than awkward.

And he was very well aware he would have to choose between two girls, because being stuck in a situation like this, with all the knowledge he had, was way too much for him.

Too bad he chose a very devious way to make a decision.

***

"What is it?" Y/N asked upon seeing a single piece of paper in Tim's hands.

"Nothing!"

"Oh, come on, let me see...."

"Trust me on this, you don't want to." Tim shook his head passing the object to Dick, who quickly tossed it to Jason, who was standing the furthest from Y/n.

"All right, fine" Y/N shrugged "I won’t be playing your silly games here...." before any of the boys realized what was happening she snuck past Jason and ripped the paper from him, her eyes immediately focusing on the printed text.

"What.....?" she stuttered, running her eyes on the words yet unable to make any sense of them "Dick?" her hurt expression killed him at the spot.

"It was Jason's idea!" the man cried out as if that could serve as an excuse.

"Yeah, here's the part I was hoping would not come out." Jason muttered

"Y/N." the girl started reading out loud "cons. Tend to live in her own world. Keep her walls up. Stubborn as hell..... Wow.....Just.... just wow." A single gasp was enough of an indication of her emotional state.

“there are also plus points……..?” he almost cringed once those words left his mouth.

“How could you Dick….?”

"Y/n...." Dick took a step forward, realizing that Jason and Tim have already fled the room leaving him to deal with Y/N and her obvious pain alone. Cowards.

"On the other side " she instantly moved back, out of his reach "Barbara. Pluses and weaknesses..... You were comparing us like this? THAT was your way to decide......? By using what? Fucking logic? By trying to decide which one of us is more useful or something……? " her voice broke and she was unable to finish the sentence, while tears started brimming in her eyes.

That was like a whole new level of betrayal. Like her heart was ripped out and tossed into the gutter.

"Y/n... please, it's not what it looks like...."

"It's exactly what it is. To put it simply, you just treated me like a goat for sale……”

"Please, let me explain.... Please, I'm begging you...."

“Just leave me alone!” she cried out running out to hide in the manor library, possibly the only place that could have given her some sort of comfort and shelter.

"Good luck with making it right, Dickhead...." Jason reappeared just in time to see Y/N rush past the hallway.

"Shut up!" Dick ran his hands through his hair in utter desperation, barely restraining from tearing them all out. It would be so much easier to blame it all on his brother and his stupid idea but deep inside Dick knew it was on him. He never should have listened to the bad advice in the first place.

Of course he was going to choose Y/N.

And there was never any reason to make some stupid list. How could there be when there has always been just one option to begin with?

And now, as much as he wanted Y/N, not Barbara, she was not going to forgive him for not letting his heart decide, but focusing on what seemed more comfortable.

How fucking selfish was that?

#dick grayson x reader #nightwing x reader #nightwing x you #dick grayson x you #dick grayson angst #nightwing angst #dick grayson x oc #nightwing x oc

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mechformers · 2 years ago

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Ma Miles - Ch. 16

6.7k words

Chapter Warning: Wound dressing, mention of bruised bones/ribs, cuts, talking about Neteyam being shot.

I um... I can't believe we've reached 70k lol What happened? XD Had anyone told me that I would ever write a slow burn this slow, I would have never believed them. Yet... here I am. Thanks a lot, Slang! To everyone who has read, is reading, or is going to read, thank you, thank you, thank you so much!! <3 As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

(If you want to be tagged with the updated chapters, please leave your @ myusername in the comments! )

Previous chapter | Masterpost | Chapter 17

The sound that leaves you when the people part for the small boy running towards you could only be described as heartwrenching, even to your own ears, Spider’s bruised frame sprints forward with only one goal in mind as you fall to your knees in the wet, warm sand. You just manage to open your arms before he’s wrapped around you, his small but strong arms holding onto you for dear life as you press your face into the crook of his neck, sobbing openly. Rocking the both of you slowly, you breathe him in, letting your hand cup the back of his messy head while you press his smaller body to your frame. There’s a small voice in the back of your mind that tells you to ease up, to let his smaller body get space to breathe, but in your desperation, you’re unable to let go of him.

“Son?” Distantly, you recognize the wounded, high-pitched voice of Jake Sully, but it’s not before you lift your head to take a deep breath that you notice that the Toruk Makto has rushed past the Olo’eyktan to hold his own son. The sound of the strong man’s quiet sobs pierces something deep within you and you can only imagine the relief of seeing your child alive when you have believed him to be dead.

He’s whispering thanks and blessings to the Great Mother when Neytiri comes rushing through the crowd, no doubt reacting to her mate’s distressed sounds. It doesn’t take long for her own shrieks of pain and disbelief to come forth as she stumbles on unsteady legs toward her son and mate. With her hand outstretched, Jake Sully takes it, pulling her into the hug he’s refusing to end with their son. Neteyam’s grunt when his mother collides with them is painful, but the reunion goes on, the young man refusing to let go of his parents. Smiling through your tears, you watch as the rest of the children join them, happy cries and grabby hands creating a tight bubble around Neteyam. It’s heartwarming to see the young man be cuddled and loved like this.

Stroking Spider’s head, you close your eyes as you feel his small but fierce heart pounding away against your chest. Your son has stopped crying, his small sniffles sounding every now and then as he clings to you. His cheek is resting against your collarbone, his mask digging in painfully, but you couldn’t care less. Your son was finally here with you, his small body clinging to you as you held him. You can’t imagine the pain and hurt he’s been through the past few weeks, or how scared he must have been. Kissing his messy head, you whisper small thank you’s as you get to your feet, still holding him close.

“You saved him,” Jake Sully mumbles, his sharp eyes piercing into yours from your short distance, reaching a hand out for you to join them.

Slowly, you approach your old Olo’eykatan with Spider in your arms, only to be pulled into the hug when his strong hand wraps around your elbow. His forehead presses firmly against yours as he holds you close, whispers of thanks leaving his lips as he breathes deeply. Neytiri repeats the motion when her mate eventually lets up, her eyes piercing into yours as she thanks you, the motion foreign to you.

“Mo’at was the one who saved him,” You whisper back, hearing Jake Sully’s soft intake of air as his head leaves the tight bubble you’ve all created, “I just found him,”

Neytiri lifts her head too and it’s only then that she sees her mother standing with the Olo’eyktan. Mo’at steps forward when another wounded sound leaves Neytiri and you watch as the older woman crumbles in her mother’s arms when she embraces her daughter. At that moment your heart bleeds for Neytiri and what she’s been through. You can only imagine the pain and sorrow she must have experienced while believing her son dead, only to be able to embrace his beating heart once more. To be able to be comforted by her mother and for the Tsahìk to embrace her the way she now does…

“Y/n had already saved Neteyam by the time they reached the Omatikaya clan, all I could do was help him heal faster” Mo’at hums to her daughter and Neytiri’s head whips around to stare at you again. Holding her mother’s hand, she reaches for yours with the other, pressing your hand to her chest.

“Thank you, sister,” Neytiri’s words are spoken with such vulnerability, with such gratitude that it takes you by surprise.

“It was the least I could do after your family protected my son,” You squeeze her shoulder where she still holds your hand to her chest, smiling warmly up at her.

Neytiri is unable to meet your eyes, her eyes instead focused on the blond mop of hair that is your son in your arms, but you don’t think much of it. It’s been a stressful time for both of you and in all honesty, you’re beyond exhausted. When Neytiri lets go of your hand, you turn back to the Metkayina Olo’eyktan, greeting him properly this time whilst still holding onto Spider, refusing to let your son go.

“I come seeking your help. My companion is hurt and he…-” You start slowly only for the Olo’eyktan to hold up his hand for you to stop.

“Your Tsahìk has already explained your situation,” He starts, only for Jake Sully to step up to him.

“She is Omatikaya, Tonowari. I will take full responsibility if you can offer her companion help,” He declares and for a split second, your heart soars with pride and gratitude for your old Olo’eyktan.

“Toruk Makto,” You say politely, your ears bent close to your skull as you wrap your tail around your thigh, the pose as submissive as you can manage with Spider still in your arms, “You will not approve of who he is,”

And with that, you put Spider down in the sand as you walk over to Hawnu. The demon’s head is resting on the other side of Hawnu’s back, blissfully hidden, and with the new tweng and cloak, he doesn’t immediately stand out unless anyone cared to look at his feet or hands. Taking hold of the demon’s short hair, you take a deep breath before lifting his head up for your Toruk Makto to see.

Immediately, there’s an outcry from the Olo’eyktan and Neytiri, and then from behind, the Metkayina Tsahìk hisses furiously as she comes up to stand beside her mate. Your eyes, however, are only trained on Neytiri as she pulls her blade and comes running towards you - or rather, towards the demon. Flipping Spider onto your back, you step between Neytiri and the demon, hissing ferociously at her as you pull your own blade out to protect your own small family.

“Step aside, sister,” Neytiri sneers, her anger, and fury petrifying as it’s directed at you.

“No,” You try to sound brave, but your voice comes out unsteady and small as it leaves your lips, your fear so obvious to everyone around you.

“He drowned,” Jake Sully says, his face crumbling in a frown as he pulls Neytiri back by her shoulder. “I drowned him,”

“I couldn’t just leave him, Sir,” Spider speaks up from your back and just like that, your fear disappears, replaced by a resolve so strong even the Great Mother couldn’t take it away from you.

“You couldn’t just… -” Jake Sully starts but stops abruptly, pinching the bridge of his nose as he squeezes his eyes shut.

“Lo’ak and I were looking for you when the ship went down and I found him on the bottom of the sea just lying there,” Spider continues, his voice desperate, “He’s my father, Sir,”

Closing your eyes, you let your mind go through every possibility before you make up your mind. Hawnu was close by, the demon already on his back if you needed a quick escape. Opening your eyes again, you stare directly into Jake Sully’s eyes as you sheath your blade.

“You were once a demon from the skies, now; you are Toruk Makto, the leader of our people, a child of Eywa,” You present so forcefully that his ears slick back against his skull while his tail whips behind him. The challenge is clear as day in Jake Sully’s eyes, but he still looked conflicted.

“It’s not up to me to decide anymore, Y/n,” He mumbles as he steps aside.

“Ma Jake, what are you saying?” Neytiri turns to him, her rage almost brimming over as she can’t believe what she’s hearing.

“Olo’eyktan of the Metkayina clans, I come to you seeking help. Will you help me?” You direct your question to the leader, not knowing if you want him to agree or not. You watch as the Olo’eyktan looks down at his own furious mate, at Neytiri’s anger, and then at Jake, his face just as conflicted as your heart.

“I will not leave his side,” Jake Sully offers, making Neytiri cry out in outer outrage at her mate’s words.

“Then we will offer help,” The Olo’eyktan says reluctantly before turning to send some of his men ahead.

Gently, you let Spider down from your back, watching as he steps up to greet Hawnu before moving over to Cupcake, the female ikran greeting him excitedly with small welcoming chirps as she nudges her head against his body. Stepping closer to Hawnu, you take a deep breath as you prepare to haul the demon’s huge mass over your shoulders again, only for Jake Sully to move closer with outstretched arms, intending to help you.

But when you whip around and hiss at him, he steps back, holding his hands up, much in the same manner that the demon does. You’re still not sure what the motion means, but you figure it has something to do with meaning no harm. Although you would have liked to get help with carrying the demon, you don’t trust your old Olo’eyktan not to attempt to kill him again. Not after what he had just admitted to doing.

“She is strong, Jakesully,” Mo’at steps forward, resting her hand on his shoulder, “She will need no help with the demon,”

You don’t understand what the Tsahìk means by that but as the demon’s heavy weight slides over Hawnu’s back to fully rest on you, you couldn’t care less as you try to keep upright. You follow the Olo’eyktan to a marui pod on the outskirts of the village, the sea surrounding all but one side of it. Only one way in, only one way out, you think as you walk on tired legs. Spier holds your tail as he follows closely behind you, not yet ready to let go of you. Behind him, Jake Sully and Neteyam follow you, much to Neytiri’s great displeasure. You have a growing suspicion that this isn’t the Tsahìk’s marui pod at all.

It’s a suspicion that is confirmed when you enter the marui pod. To your surprise, the people the Olo’eyktan sent away are waiting for you inside, their shoulders squared as they stare at the demon on your shoulders. In the middle of the pod, a woven mat and supplies for the Tsahìk are set up, yet, the Tsahìk herself, is missing.

On wobbly legs, you crumble to your knees as you try your best not to drop the demon. Spider is still holding your tail, his grip harder as he refuses to let go when you bend down, trying your best to gently slide the demon off of you. It doesn’t work. It never has. With a hard thud, the demon’s bottom hits the mat before the rest of his body follows, much like an overripe banana fruit falling to the ground. Deep within you, you feel sympathy when his head hits the woven mat hard, his kuru trapped between the two.

Stepping back, you pull Spider’s head to your middle, your son still refusing to let go of your tail. His grip on you tightens when the Metkayina Tsahìk enters the pod, Mo’at closely following behind the two. The Tsahìk sneers at the demon until the Olo’eyktan, her mate, squeezes her shoulder while leveling her with a look that seems to pull her anger back from the surface.

“The demon does not deserve the Great Mother’s healing,” The Tsahìk hisses while scowling up at her mate.

“Ronal…” The Olo’eyktan hums, but his voice only seems to anger her more.

“He took our daughter,” The Tsahìk, Ronal, growls, and the news goes straight through your chest, pushing a wounded whine through your lips as you hold back fresh tears.

The demon’s betrayal seemed never-ending the more you learn about the events of that day. It colors him in a light you’ve only heard whispered before, colors him in stories from a war long since passed. This… this being before you is not the man you had come to know, yet, it undeniably still was.

“The demon has been touched by the Great Mother, Tsahìk,” Mo’at hums gently, using Ronal’s title politely, one Tsahìk to another.

“The Great Mother would not touch the likes of him,” Ronal hisses back, her finger pointing shakily at the demon.

“The Great Mother touched me,” Jake Sully offers softly, making all heads snap toward him. “And as Y/n said, I was once a demon from the skies, just like him,”

“The Toruk Makto is right,” Mo’at continued, “Eywa has spoken. As Tsahìk, it is not up to us to challenge her will,”

Ronal hisses furiously as she clutches her head, the battle so obvious to everyone in the room. Mo’at eventually takes pity on the younger Tsahìk when she steps forward, a gentle hand resting on Ronal’s forearm.

“With your permission,” She looks at Ronal and her mate before continuing, “I can offer him healing,”

Immediately, Ronal’s expression softens, gratitude washing through her body. Grabbing Mo’at’s wrist, she breathes a deep sigh before accepting her mate’s open arms, letting herself be hugged by the Olo’eyktan.

“Thank you,” The Olo’eyktan offers, his smile genuine and soft. “I will make sure that you have everything you need,”

“I will join you to Ronal’s marui to collect what I need before returning,” Mo’at hums, inclining her head minutely in appreciation.

Watching Mo’at disappear with the Tsahìk and Olo’eyktan, you let your breath out before sitting down, crossing your legs before you as you make room for Spider to sit. Jake Sully bends down to sit beside you, Neteyam tightly nestled between his own thighs as he holds his son tightly to his chest.

“How is he?” Jake Sully eventually asks as the silence stretches on.

“The demon will live,” You start, your voice unsteady, “Maybe,”

“What happened when you left?” Your old Olo’eyktan continues, his voice gentle as he stares at you.

Turning your head to actually look at him, noticing how he’s looking at you with genuine worry. His ears have rotated toward you, open and rounded, while his tail slaps lazily behind him, the soft thumping soothing as it hits the woven ground of the marui pod. It reminds you of the shame he had displayed when he had come to you with the news of Spider being taken, and just like that, your disappointment in him returns.

“Why do you care?” You huff back at him as you narrow your eyes, your hand cupping the back of Spider’s head, pressing him closer to your chest.

“Ouch… I guess I deserved that one,” Jake Sully winces, his ears pinning down flat against his skull.

The silence stretches between you while you hold your sons against your bodies, reveling in the way their hearts beat against your chests, in the way their lungs push air through them before gently letting them out. Spider and Neteyam are fast asleep where they’re held against your bigger bodies, your son’s exhausted with being strong and just like that, while looking down at them, the two of you seem to come to the same realization.

Although they were both young adults, they were still children, burdened with fighting the horrors of a war they should have never been involved in, to begin with. Although they were old enough to find mates, to go off on their own and be their own master, they were still too young to have experienced everything that they had. Holding Spider closer, you bend your head back as you feel guilt and sorrow wash through you. They had both been through a lot, had been brave and fearsome for their younger siblings and friends, for their parents. You recognized that it would take time for them to heal, time for them to work through their trauma, and to learn how to be children again before they would be able to confidently stand on their own two legs as adults.

“I went to Hell’s Gate, only to find it deserted, so I found the gates of Bridgehead City and demanded to see Colonel Miles Quaritch,” You eventually offer, a peace offering to a man who’s treated your people well.

“You did what?” Jake Sully’s head snaps to the side to stare at you so fast, you can almost hear the pain in his neck.

“They brought me to one of their bright, cold rooms with the see-through metal doors. I don’t know how long it took, but eventually, they brought Spider to me, unharmed. A deal was made to teach the recom unit the Na’vi way, to teach them to accept Eywa in their hearts and souls,” You continue quietly, noting how Jake Sully hangs on every word you say.

“And they did,” You followed, turning your head to look back at the Toruk Makto, “They learned to accept Eywa in their hearts and in their souls.”

The silence stretches once more as you let the words sink in. Jake Sully remains silent, his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as his mind mulls over what you have just said. To your surprise, he lets you collect yourself, lets you continue with your story without uttering a single word.

“They learned to be Na’vi, each one getting to find themselves as if invisible bonds that had held them back fell away. Slowly, they started to appreciate what the Great Mother has created, each one finding their way, discovering what they were good at, and starting to contribute to the unit,” You continue, your voice growing fond as a ghost of a smile crosses your lips. It’s clear to everyone in the marui that you cared deeply for them.

“I don’t know what happened,” You eventually whisper, your heart breaking once more as you avert your eyes, closing them as you bend your head, resting your lips against Spider’s head, breathing him in to calm yourself.

“I’m sorry I allowed them to take Spider in the first place,” Jake Sully offers, his voice so soft you almost think you imagined it, “You have a strong heart Y/n, a strong spirit. It’s no wonder Hawnu chose you all those years ago.”

Mo’at walks in with supplies in her arms then, the Olo’eyktan follows closely behind her with even more stuff in his arms. Your Tsahìk directs the younger Olo’eyktan to - gently - put the supplies down when his first attempt earns him a disapproving tut from her. Mo’at looks over at your sleeping sons before guiding the Olo’eyktan to sit beside Jake Sully before she starts arranging the supplies the way she wants them. To your surprise, the big man does as he’s told with a respectful nod of his head.

“She always this firm?” The Olo’eyktan whispers once he’s crossed his feet beside Jake Sully.

“You should have seen her when I mated Neytiri,” Jake Sully whispers back, a fond grin on his face.

“I can hear you…” Mo’at hums unamused as she raises her eye at the two.

The boyish grins on the two men’s faces have you shaking your head. Seeing this freer side of the Toruk Makto makes something inside of you shift. You realize that he was cast into the role of Olo’eyktan after Tsu’tey’s death in the battle for the Vitraya Ramunong, a role he was never meant to have, yet, one he did his best to fulfill. Being from the stars, from this planet Earth, Jake Sully had done well by your people as a leader, had given everything to protect and defend them.

Watching as Mo’at mixed herbs, pastes, and salves, preparing leaves and cleaning bowls, you let your mind go pleasantly blank for the first time in what felt like forever. The sea beyond the marui pod washes up against the roots, creating a comforting sound, yet, you keep your eyes closed as you hold your sleeping son close. Mo’at distantly hums about bruised bones and ribs, huffing to herself about how such a big man could be this fragile. After a while, the Olo’eyktan gets up to his feet to resume his duties as leader, promising to bring food after the community meal is finished.

By the time you open your eyes again, Mo’at has finished up, the demon draped in a blanket with his wounds and bruised bones dressed. Jake Sully is staring at him, his face conflicted as his mind races silently while he holds onto a still-sleeping Neteyam, the young man so obviously beyond exhausted. Looking down at Spider, the most beautiful brown eyes you have ever seen in your life stares back at you through the mask.

“I see you,” You whisper gently as you cup your son’s face, smiling down at him.

“I see you, mom,” Spider replies, a soft smile of his own as he’s looking up at you.

“Are you well?” The question makes him frown for a moment before he nods his head.

“I’m tired,” He responds before frowning, “Will he be alright?”

“Your father will be just fine,” You smile reassuringly back at him, noting how his face opens with delight when you acknowledge the demon as his father.

“I don’t know what happened, mom,” Spider whispers, his small, strong hands fiddling with your braid, “One moment he was fine and then he just… snapped?”

“It’s alright, Spider. His actions are not your fault,” You comfort him, trying your best to make him understand that he had no part in his father’s doings.

“When he took me, he went after more villages and when no one said anything, he sent the sky people out to hunt the tulkuns, mom,” Spider’s voice is so small it makes your heart break for him.

“Did he kill any of them?” You dread the answer, but you need to know.

“No,” Jake Sully replies instead, “They wounded Ronal’s spirit sister, forcing her and her young calf to the surface, leaving them for me to find. The mother and calf are healing well,”

Closing your eyes, you’re unable to keep back the wounded sound that leaves you. It feels as if your strength is leaving your body as your heart mourns for the man you had come to know. Anger and betrayal filled its place, poisoning what was left of the hope you still held onto.

“He killed the Olo’eyktan’s ilu before burning the Ta'unui village down, but he stopped the sky people from doing what they usually do with the tulkun,” Spider offers and although it should have been a small relief to know that he had ordered the sky people to stop the hunt, it wasn’t.

“He got my attention, which was what he wanted,” Jake Sully huffs humorlessly, “He went after another tulkun later on, and while our kids tried to save it, he managed to take three of them,”

“Lo’ak, Tuk and Tsireya, Ronal and Tonowari’s daughter,” Sider mumbles shamefully, his voice so small.

“It wasn’t your fault, bro,” Neteyam adds sleepily, his voice rough from just having awoken.

“I could have done something, I should have done more…” Spider counters and it makes Neteyam huff humorlessly, much like his father.

“Like what, gotten yourself killed?” The deadpan expression Neteyam sends him makes your son growl. Had he been born with ears and a tail, they would be slicked back and thrashing.

“When Payakan, Lo’ak’s tulkun, crashed the ship, me and Lo’ak went looking for Spider. That guy, Prager, and the bald one came after us with their guns, but the bald one didn’t really shoot at us, his aim was horrible,” Neteyam chuckles, as he grins.

“Wainfleet is a decorated marksman, Neteyam,” Jake Sully offers, but you don’t understand what it means. “If he had wanted you dead, you would have been dead with the first bullet he fired,”

The truth of the words brings a silence over the marui pod as the reality of what could have happened sinks in. Closing your eyes, you hold Spider’s head close to you in an attempt at comforting yourself while you let yourself hope that Lyle had missed with the intent of not hurting the children. At best, it was a hope to comfort yourself as the man was no more.

“What you did was stupid,” Jake Sully grounds out, his voice angry before he sighs and presses Neteyam’s head to his chest again, “But I have never been more proud to call myself your father,”

“That goes for you too, Lo’ak,” The Toruk Makto raises his voice before turning his head to look toward the seaside opening of the marui pod. “Come on out, son,”

Lo’ak’s head pokes out from the brim of the pod, his ears flat against his head as he slowly, but surely steps out from where he had been hiding. The boy’s tail is wrapped tightly against his thigh as he’s unable to lift his head or meet his father’s eyes.

“Are you not angry, Sir?” Lo’ak all but whispers, his ears rotating toward his father before snapping back again.

“Oh, I’m furious,” Jake Sully chuckles as a grin spreads across his face, “And the two of you will be grounded for life, but I have never been more proud in my life,”

Reaching out a hand for his youngest son, Jake Sully waits for his words to sink in and when they do, Lo’ak’s head snaps up with confusion as he stares at his father. Reluctantly, he steps forward, one foot at a time until he’s within his father’s reach. He’s helpless against the hand that grabs his waist and before he knows it, he’s pulled down into his father’s lap.

Smiling at the display before you, you watch as Jake Sully breathes in the scent of his boys as he holds them close, but most of all, you smile at the way Lo’ak curls up against his older brother, his smaller hands holding onto him for dear life. You can’t imagine how he must have felt when he thought he had lost his brother, but by the way silent tears fall from his clenched shut eyes, the loss had been painful in a way he has been unable to express. Neteyam wraps him up as well as he’s able to, holding onto his brother as they rest against their father’s chest. You lose time of how long you sit there, but when Mo’at returns to the marui pod, Neytiri follows behind.

“Ma Jake, you must come home,” She demands, her eyes not leaving the demon on the ground.

“Neytiri, I can’t do that. I promised I wouldn’t leave Quaritch’s side,” Jake Sully sighs, his ears flat against his skull as his arms tighten minutely around his sons.

“The demon should die for what he has done,” Neytiri hisses, uncrossing her arms as she points at him.

It brings an instantly furious growl from your lips as you jump to your feet to stand between them, blocking Neytiri’s path. The Toruk Makto doesn’t get up from the floor, but his deep sigh is enough to bring Neytiri’s focus back on him.

“Neytiri, Eywa has spoken and I have given my word to Tonowari, I will not break it,” He speaks with a patience you do not feel, “My word is all I have left, Neytiri,”

Jake Sully’s vulnerability seems to touch something deep within her as Neytiri growls and whines before clutching her head in frustration, her ears pinning back helplessly. Had you been able to move from your current place, you would have offered the older woman comfort, but as you are, you stand frozen before the demon with your son on your hips, tucked away from Neytiri. In the end, Neytiri lowers her arms as she helplessly looks at you, her eyes wide and filled with fear, and just like that, you can’t blame her.

“Thank you, sister,” Your voice is soft as you speak, your hand reaching out to hold her when she tightly grasps it.

Neytiri is unable to say anything, but her hand clutches yours before the other one comes up to cover your clasped hands. Her eyes have softened when she looks down at you. She looks lost and you understand that feeling. From one mother to another, you share in her desperation to keep your kid safe, to ensure that they have the best paths laid before them. Although he Great Mother had spoken, you did still not know if saving the demon would be the right one for Spider, for the whole of Pandora, but when you close your eyes at night, it is his touch that you feel behind you and just before you open them again, it is his sharp eyes that you see, leaning in to share his love with you.

Releasing your hand, Neytiri walks over to sit beside her mate and sons, her arms wrapping around both Neteyam and Lo’ak as she breathes him in, reveling in his smell. Jake Sully smiles gently before looking behind you where Mo’at works unbothered by her daughter's temper tantrum, seemingly used to it. She has pulled the blanket down from the demon’s chest, revealing the smattering of leaves protecting the pastes and salves beneath. You watch as his chest rises and falls in deep rest, the man far away from his present predicament.

“What happened next,” Jake Sully hums into the silence, his eyes sharp as he stares at nothing in particular, but his voice leaves little doubt about where he’s going with this.

“Spider and I went to look for you, diving around the ship in hopes to find you. We split up and then… Well, I found you,” Lo’ak started, refusing to lift his head from Neteyam’s shoulder.

“And then I found him,” Spider continues, his eyes filling with tears as he clutches harder onto your braid, “At first I left him. He’s caused so much pain, so much suffering and I just… Everyone would be so much better without him, but mom, he’s my father,”

Spider’s tears are falling, fat and clear, as he squeezes his eyes shut, afraid to see your reaction. Shuffling him over to your front, you wrap both arms around him as he sobs. Behind your back, his small hands find your braid again as he clutches onto it tightly, his small legs locking at the small of your back. Shushing him, you cup the back of his head while comforting him, feeling your heart clench painfully at the fact that there is nothing you can do to help him except to just be there for him. Eventually, he lifts his head from your shoulder as he looks up at you, tears hanging from his big brown eyes and you can find no fault in his reasoning.

“I know, I know,” You smile down at him, bending to rest your forehead on his through the mask on his face, “It’s alright,”

When you lift your head from his, even Jake Sully seems like he reluctantly agrees with your son’s compassion. Neytiri’s still scowling, but her features don’t look as hard as they previously had, the older woman obviously struggling to find fault in your son’s reasoning, despite the fact that his father is such a man.

“I got him out of the wreck and up to the surface, pulling him with me to the nearest rock, but by then he was already waking up. He asked me to come with him, mom, but I couldn’t go with him,” Spider continues, his voice growing sadder with each word, “He looked so sad when I left him, mom,”

The confession breaks you, the sudden intake of air into your lungs threatening to choke you. He had asked Spider to come with him, had even looked sad when Spider refused, leaving him behind for Cupcake to deal with. Could there still be something within him that longed for the life he had turned his back on? Turning your head, you stare at the demon, noting how carefree he looks in his sleep. It’s not the peaceful rest he had worn before, but like this, he looks as if there’s still hope for change in him.

“I’ll find a way, Spider,” You whisper into his hair, closing your eyes as you breathe him in to calm yourself, “I swear, I will find a way,”

The promise seemed to calm your son’s nerves as the death grip he had on your kuru eased. You have a need to bounce him in your arms like you did when he was a baby, but you bite your cheek to refrain from doing so, reminding yourself that he was on the cusp of adulthood. Still, the need resided deep within you. Holding him close like this would have to be enough, however. Turning around, you’re surprised to see the Olo’eyktan in the opening, his big frame resting against the marui pod while he waits.

“Olo’eyktan,” You mutter, clumsily greeting him.

“There is no need for this,” His voice rumbles as he steps inside, only to come to a stop before you. “It takes a strong heart and a mighty spirit to stand up to your father like that, little warrior,”

You watch as Jake Sully gets to his feet, his arms still clutching onto both of his sons as he grunts, refusing to put them down, much the same way you are. Behind the strength he projects, you realize that he’s just as afraid of waking up to find that this had just been a dream. Neteyam and Lo’ak look huge in his arms, dwarfing their father where they’re clutching onto him with their long legs. Still, Jake Sully greets the Olo’eyktan with a nod, as if any of this was normal.

“Tonowari,” Jake Sully offers, his sons quickly mumbling a formal greeting as their father spreads his legs to even out their weight.

“You look tired, my friend. Why don’t you take your family home to rest?” The Olo’eyktan, Tonwari, hums, a gentle smile on his face.

“Can’t do that, I promised I wouldn’t leave Quaritch’s side,” Jake Sully grunts back, the weight of his sons obviously heavy in his tired arms.

“The Tsahìk has informed me that the demon will not wake from his sleep any time soon, and although I admire the loyalty to your promise, I would feel better if you took your family home,” Tonowari continues, his big hands cupping both Neteyam and Lo’ak’s heads as his thumb gently caresses them while he waits for the Toruk Makto to decide, “I will have warriors watching the pod,”

That seems to do it. Jake Sully sighs heavily as he bends his head for a short moment before looking up at Tonowari, his eyes brimming with emotions as his smile stretches unevenly.

“Thank you, my friend,” He breathes with relief as Neytiri comes up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder to show her support.

“Tsireya and Ronal have left food in your kelku. Do me a favor and don’t let me see you tomorrow,” Tonowari grins as Jake Sully chuckles with tears in his eyes, the Toruk Mako struggling to keep his emotions at bay.

“Thank you,” Neytiri hums as Jake Sully turns to leave.

“Y/n…” He calls to you, but nothing follows.

No words are needed for what your old Olo’eyktan is trying to say. It’s written so clearly in the way his eyes glow while he looks at you, in the way his arms no doubt burn under the weight of his sons. It’s in his voice, in his breath, and in his presence. And even though she won’t say it, even though she doesn’t agree with saving the demon, it's in Neytiri’s smile, as she looks at you, from the entrance.

“I will place warriors to stand guard on the outside, but your Tsahìk tells me that your companion will not wake any time soon,” Tonowari relays the message to you too, even though you had just heard it.

“There is a sleeping draft in the food I have given him,” Mo’at hums as she finishes redressing the demon’s wounds.

The older woman has been suspiciously quiet since arriving in the village, her eyes observing where her mouth does not. You figure that she knows more than she’s letting on, more than she’s ready to relay - or, perhaps, more than you are ready to know. Taking a deep breath, you nod your head in understanding.

“Tomorrow, I will teach you how to dress his wounds,” It’s spoken with such finality that you take a moment to understand what she’s saying.

You hadn’t expected Mo’at to handle the demon for you, but a small part of you had hoped that you could steer clear of the task. Especially after the whole cave incident. Still, you understood that he was your responsibility and that his healing ultimately would be up to you. Getting a better hold on Spider, you turn back to the big leader in front of you.

“There is food in that basket,” He hums, presenting a huge basket by the entrance that you hadn’t noticed before now. “I will come by tomorrow morning to help you settle in, but nesting materials were brought in earlier. This will be your kelku for as long as you stay here, so make yourselves comfortable,”

“Thank you, Olo’eyktan,” You nod your head, grateful that you were taken care of like this.

“Your son has already settled into the village, although new to the sea. He will be safe even without your eyes on him,” Tonowari smiles gently down at you as he reaches a hand out to grab Spider’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I will see you tomorrow,” Mo’at hums as she passes you, effectively leaving you behind.

With your Tsahìk’s exit, Tonowari leaves the marui pod, your new kelku, while the warriors who had been standing guard on the inside followed their Olo’eyktan. The flap to the kelku is closed behind the last warrior and just like that, you were left alone with your son and his father. Breathing a sigh of relief and dread, you look down at your son, finding his beautiful brown eyes already looking up at you. You didn’t know how to settle the unease you felt deep within you, so when Spider unlocked his legs around your waist, started building your nest to keep you occupied.

By the time the nest was finished and your heads hit the soft materials, your worries had numbed your mind enough for you to feel lifeless. Sleep, luckily, greeted you fairly quickly. Your exhaustion from the past few weeks catching up with you. Pulling Spider closer, you fell into a sleep so deep not even the demon could pull you out of it. Tomorrow would bring new sets of worries, new challenges you weren’t ready to tackle yet, but for now, you let your body relax, knowing that your son was safe where he slept in your arms.

Chapter 15 | Masterpost | Chapter 17

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borathae · 6 months ago

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Chapter 16

OH MY GOD WE ARE NOT DEAD YAY HOBI

WHERES KOOK???? HIS BACK????

okay this was like the calmest reaction to me being a vampire I have ever seen. hobari, my love, tae already told her thats why she is chill

I once had a girl literally run away from me screeching prayers.” xd HAHA imagine someone pulling out the cross at him and saying THE POWER CHRIST COMPELS YOU and him just blinking

hobi baby, ik your are excited, but its quite the wrong time and person to test your new skills

“No, I’m not like Jungkook. I don’t go crazy at the smell or taste of blood. Especially not when yours tastes like literal ass right now, wow thanks ig

holy shit no baby kook, im gonna fucking cry DONT PUNISH YOURSELF YOU SAVED US BOTH FUCK IM ALL TEARY EYES

I’m just waiting for the day when vampire hunters break through the front door and shoot you guys.” im imagining them coming in fbi style FBI OPEN UP WE KNOW ITS SANGUIS hobi's cute dumbass - how did u know seokjin- you just proved it

this is why she isnt scared of you both 😭😭😭 reminds me of that tiktok asking whose house will you rob and everyone straight up said hobi in the comments 💀

imagine someone seeing their bodies in front of the house also was it tae or yoongi or someone else??

ok hobi was 26 in 1982, so born in 1956 and is 68 so its 2024 hmm SO KOOK IS 94 WTF they are not even dilf, they are gilf 😭😭😭 wait in that case whats tae 😭 hold on jimin mentioned yoongi being older, is that in older than 800 years or turned at an older age?

I was turned in 1875 by some random prostitute”, bitch pls 😭😭😭 he doesnt have a sob story nor a heroic one

wait something doesnt add up jin is 217, so if its 2024, he should be born in 1807, but he was 27 in 1875

“Good that you ask because listen this is such a story”, ..“Oh god here we go again stop being a jealous bean just cuz u got turned by a hoe 😭😭

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. With that massive schlong that I carry around” you say sarcastically. you sure about that? was that foreshadow to the oneshot lol

“She bit my neck!” “And she bit my dick!” one got their throat ripped out and other ones dick. great just great. i just know, no vampire has a story like this, i mean sure neck being bitten but from a prostitute?? and dick being bitten hobi im sorry but thats a tragic comedy

A bang then a clash. bro this scared me so bad only to see its “Stupid raccoon don’t run away, come on let me spank your rubbish stealing buttocks!”

whats calling her?? where is she going?? who is down there calling? 2seokook wont have something suspicious down there right?

daisies and fresh sheets? is that jungkook? why is he down there? wtf HOW DID THE DARK CORRIDOR TURN BRIGHT???

damn how hard did he hurt himself this is so heartbreaking let me get my blanket 😭

As long as I’m paralysed I’m no danger to you NO STOP whos cutting onions

OMG SHE KISSED HIS CHEEK IM BLUSHING LIKE IM THE ONE WHO GOT KISSED AAAH

WHERES KOOK???? HIS BACK????

buckle in, that's where the angst begins 😭

okay this was like the calmest reaction to me being a vampire I have ever seen. hobari, my love, tae already told her thats why she is chill

Hobari gosh :( I miss them all together </3

I once had a girl literally run away from me screeching prayers.” xd HAHA imagine someone pulling out the cross at him and saying THE POWER CHRIST COMPELS YOU and him just blinking

JJADSFJ tbfh it's so valid though JFADJSJF

hobi baby, ik your are excited, but its quite the wrong time and person to test your new skills

FADSHJFJ HE IS SO CHAOTIC BAHAHHAH

“No, I’m not like Jungkook. I don’t go crazy at the smell or taste of blood. Especially not when yours tastes like literal ass right now, wow thanks ig

hhiihih he is so good in flirting hhiihih

holy shit no baby kook, im gonna fucking cry DONT PUNISH YOURSELF YOU SAVED US BOTH FUCK IM ALL TEARY EYES

I'M CRYING IN THE CLUB

imagine someone seeing their bodies in front of the house also was it tae or yoongi or someone else??

WHOOO KNOWWSSS not me (i know)

OKAY BEAR IN MIND!!!! I wrote this story in 2020 so it takes place in 2020. You have to subtract 4 years of their age during Sanguis Alpha. Also as far as your Yoongi question is concerned, we do not know yet what exactly he meant 👀

I was turned in 1875 by some random prostitute”, bitch pls 😭😭😭 he doesnt have a sob story nor a heroic one

fjajdfadjs he is so pathetic jfdajsf

wait something doesnt add up jin is 217, so if its 2024, he should be born in 1807, but he was 27 in 1875

Nooo it takes place in 2020 queen <3 no wait. WAIT my bisexual ass did the maths wrong HELP!!!! thanks for pointing it out I need to change the dates jfdjsjf

“Good that you ask because listen this is such a story”, ..“Oh god here we go again stop being a jealous bean just cuz u got turned by a hoe 😭😭

oh sweet summer child if only you knew jfdjsf

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. With that massive schlong that I carry around” you say sarcastically. you sure about that? was that foreshadow to the oneshot lol

BESTIE THE DOTS ARE CONNECTING FJDSJF

aahhaha they're so chaotic I love them fjadjf

whats calling her?? where is she going?? who is down there calling? 2seokook wont have something suspicious down there right?

the suspicionn

daisies and fresh sheets? is that jungkook? why is he down there? wtf HOW DID THE DARK CORRIDOR TURN BRIGHT???

THE SUSPICION

damn how hard did he hurt himself this is so heartbreaking let me get my blanket 😭

i'm crying so hard 😭

As long as I’m paralysed I’m no danger to you NO STOP whos cutting onions

LIKE PLEASE 😭😭😭

OMG SHE KISSED HIS CHEEK IM BLUSHING LIKE IM THE ONE WHO GOT KISSED AAAH

THEY'RE SO CUTUUTUTEEEE

#asks: sanguis alpha #asks #minusback #tw: long post

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detective-pandaman · 1 year ago

Text

Water 7 Arc: Luffy and Usopp (Manga and Anime Comparison) [Part 1]

Spoiler alert: Don't keep reading if you haven't reached Water 7 Arc (Manga Chapter 333 or Anime Episode 236)

I've decided to start with this scene in particular because it shows a lot of changes that are absolutely core in the characters personalities in my opinion.

Please let me know your opinion about it or if you wish to add anything ^^ (and remember to have mercy on my English xD)

There is a lot to unpack, so I will be going page by page and directly comparing it with the Anime. 14 pages of manga compared to Anime.

(Manga reads from right to left, but the Anime screenshots are organized to read from left to right ^^U)

Before starting the comparison, a little reminder of what we are dealing with:

Luffy was informed by Galley-La shipwrights that the Going Merry could not sail anymore, and that he has to change ships. He strongly and emotionally refused to believe it and also refused to leave Merry behind, as it would be like leaving a companion... until Iceberg cuts the conversation short by doubting his capabilities as a Captain, and Luffy takes that comment to heart. (Manga Chapter 328)

On the other side, Usopp has been beaten twice by Franky's men, one while being robbed and another one while trying to recover the money he was robbed. He feels extremely guilty and like he can not face the others.

Luffy and the others found Usopp badly hurt, and broke Franky's Lair to the ground in the rage caused by seeing the poor Usopp hurt.

Luffy ends up deciding that leaving the Merry is the most responsible thing to do to protect the others. Then they all go back home.

Of course everyone is very emotional at this moment when Usopp finally wakes up, but they are trying to lift the spirits:

Now let's start the comparisons.

Luffy wants Usopp to not feel responsible for the decision he has to make (because he is not, obviously), and tries to treat the subject with positivity and cheer Usopp up. But it's still Luffy, and he is not the best with words, even if he never has ill intention, and he is also still emotional about it. But he is trying his best to maintain the smile.

Usopp is having probably one of the worst days of his life, and he is waking up to one big fear of him being a reality.

For the first 2 or 3 panels we get this (which already doesn't feel the same):

Then suddenly, we get the reactions of the others with absolute silence. The problem is... the Anime just chooses which reactions they have, because the Manga sure didn't show them!

Everyone looks tense or displeased. Specially, Nami looks dissappointed with Luffy's way of treating the subject, and Chopper seems about to start crying.

In my opinion, these reactions of the rest of the crew are completely out of character for this moment. Let's understand that they already talked about the subject and agreed with Luffy, not only because he is the Captain, but also because it's the logical thing to do.

But we are just getting started with this page.

For some reason, they decided to show Usopp making jokes about the subject, and the others just... let him talk and talk. (the reason is filler, I know)

In the Manga, Usopp tries to understand the situation as fast as possible, because it's no joke to him. He understands that something is happening or Luffy wouldn't even think about something like that. He immediately blames himself for the problem, shaking and panicking.

Also, Luffy's expression in the Anime? Why do they make him look angry at Usopp? Why would he look at his panicking dear friend with such a severe and angry look?

Finally we can go to the 2nd page:

Things start to heat up.

As you can see, all the conversation in the Manga is fast, without them stopping to look "judgingly" at one another. What the rest is doing is trying to calm them down.

Luffy hurries and tries to explain the money has nothing to do with their problem, but is getting frustrated that Usopp is pulling his tongue to say the whole truth or he won't stop blaming himself for it.

Luffy doesn't want to say out loud that Merry can't be repaired (because for him saying something out loud is making it a reality). But he also doesn't want Usopp to feel responsible when he is not, so he has to choose... and he chooses to free Usopp from guilt.

Let's remember Luffy is a very mature guy in many ways, but is also very emotional and empathetic. He feels the pain of the others and his own, and is probably overwhelmed, so he explodes.

Also, we can see how Sanji and Chopper are physically trying to stop them from escalating the situation. Sanji holds Luffy's shoulder, not only stopping him, but also grounding him so he can calm down. Chopper tries to make Usopp sit back and rest.

You can see how they don't think any of them is wrong right now, they just want them to stop fighting and talk calmly.

Now let's look at what the Anime does with this page:

We get angry faces of Zoro and Sanji for some reason, when they are clearly not angry, just worried...

Luffy and Usopp's expressions are also way more angry and violent than what they should be.

The scene keeps escalating and none of the others is really getting in the middle...

For some reason, Usopp is disrespecting not only Luffy and his position as Captain verbally and physically, but also Choppers medical advice... completely out of character.

And then we start a really stressful and completely fabricated scene:

Usopp screaming over and over demandingly until he makes Luffy angry enough he explodes... from anger.

Luffy didn't explode from anger in the Manga. He just wanted to end the problem. He is not angry at Usopp at all, he is stressed.

And also, Usopp wouldn't do any of this to Luffy.

And we never saw Sanji and Chopper getting in the middle. Why?

3rd page:

The problem seems to have stopped. Usopp is shocked by the revelation, but seems to have calmed down.

Luffy had to recognize out loud what he didn't want to say, but he assumes the problem is going to be over. They all do.

We can still see how Sanji was trying to calm Luffy down by contact, but stops when he sees he calmed down. He is very involved in all the interaction, even if he has been silent until now.

Sanji, Nami and Chopper look shaken by how out of hand things had gone for a second (because in the Manga it is fast).

Then Usopp insists.

Zoro doesn't seem pleased that Usopp talks back again.

Going back to the Anime's adaptation:

Again, Luffy looks angry and not desperate to solve the problem they are having. He looks down on Usopp, still in a defensive position.

Actually, none of the expressions are correct. They have all gone from surprised or shaken to just frown.

Was it that difficult to respect their expressions? They fill everything else with random content, but now that they had specific panels with their expressions, they decided to not put them.

Any semblance of closeness between Sanji and Luffy is completely erased.

4th page:

Usopp starts to be clearly illogical, and he knows it. But it's not out of malice, it's just his insecurities making him talk like this.

Luffy can't understand why he won't let it go now that he has the whole information, and tries to explain the situation again, in case he didn't get it. Again: he is not mad with Usopp, he is stressed.

But Usopp is too affected by everything he experienced in that horrible day to try to be rational, and it's normal and human to do so.

In the Anime:

Again, the facial expressions are completely exaggerated in the worst way possible, or straight up wrong.

At this point I'm begging the Anime to stop making them look at each other with hate.

5th page:

They all know he is saying nonsense, and start to notice there's a lot more behind everything he is saying.

Let's remember Merry is a gift to Luffy from Kaya. Also he saw the Klabautermann of the ship and believes Merry has a soul... But not only that. Usopp feels inadequate in the group. He feels like he's not enough for them, and is probably thinking that the ship, with which he shares so much, is receiving the treatment he "deserves" to receive.

The rest of the crew just don't seem to know how to aboard the problem.

In the Anime:

Again with the expressions and positions completely wrong.

Luffy and Zoro just look angry.

Sanji has lost his concerned look for a serious one and also gives his back to the whole situation. We can't see Nami's face. Chopper is not attending Usopp as urgently...

6th Page:

Luffy has sat down and is not discussing this as a friends quarrel anymore, he is starting to act like a Captain. He is not angry, he is firm.

He points out that what Usopp is saying is illogical, in a strong tone. Nami (probably) is surprised by the change of tone of Luffy. Usopp still doesn't want to listen, starting to really disrespect his Captain by giving him his back and ignoring what he says.

Sanji calls Usopp out, with his hands on his hips, clearly showing support for his Captain and disapproval of Usopp's attitude.

This is one of the first times Luffy has to put his foot down as a Captain. He usually doesn't need to. And Usopp is practically disobeying orders.

In the Anime:

Luffy's expression is completely wrong again. They keep showing him angry, not firm.

Also he is not sitting, which adds to them completely missing the change in Luffy's attitude.

The composition is also showing a weird tension, in which Usopp looks almost like a victim of a bully.

Sanji calls Usopp even softly for what we are used to hear from him, like he is trying to support him more than scold him.

And again... Luffy's expression is a complete miss.

Not only does he look like an angry child more than an adult that is discussing something serious, they also changed his nervous sweat for angry veins.

And this are all the images I can put in a post, so this will continue in Part 2 ^^

#water 7 arc #one piece manga #one piece anime #monkey d. luffy #usopp #going merry #roronoa zoro #nami #tony tony chopper #sanji #black leg sanji #vinsmoke sanji #comparison

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dp-marvel94 · 2 years ago

Text

Face to Face- Chapter 54

Summary: When Danny went through the ghost catcher, he expected to be cured of the ghostliness that had haunted him since the accident, not to wake up on the lab floor with his parents saying he’d been overshadowed but everything’s back to normal now. But why does Danny Fenton cry himself to sleep to then dream of flying? Why does Phantom, the ghost who was supposedly possessing Danny remember a life that wasn’t his? Most of all, why do both the human and the ghost feel that something vital is missing, in their very soul? Or: Trying to cure himself of his powers one month after the accident, Danny accidentally splits himself but neither his ghost nor his human half know that that is what they did

First -> Last -> Next

Word Count: 7,517

Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net

Note: Finally! The much awaited (for me at least XD) concert chapter! This is probably the most self indulgent thing I have ever written. 😅😳

Seriously though, I put so much time and thought into this love letter to my two favorite things: Danny Phantom and Christian rock. 😂 I hope ya'll enjoy it just a fraction of the amount I did writing it.

(And on a serious note. A warning for some minor religious references and discussion here- the name of Jesus in a reverent context, a character asks another if they would like to be prayed for. I wrote a very long post on Tumblr going to more detail on some of these and my reasons for including them. See the link in the end note.)

Excitement grew, buzzing in Danny’s chest as everyone piled into the GEV. Even Jazz.

The boy raised a brow at his sister. “I figured you’d wanna stay home and read about the psychology of troubled teens or something.”

The red-head rolled her eyes at the comment. She shook her head. “Spike is going. He’s really into the metal scene and I thought going myself might be informative.”

Dad glanced back. “Is that your boyfriend, Jazzirencess?”

Jazz blushed. “We’re just friends, Dad.”

The parents exchanged looks, saying nothing else on the topic. Instead the conversation shifted, back towards the subject of the concert.

“Danny, sweetie. Who are we seeing again?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Less than ten minutes later, the group arrived at the park. Dad pulled into a parking spot and turned the vehicle off. The teens were out almost before the van even stopped and practically run across the grass.

There was the stage, set up the field where Sam, Tucker, and his two halves had played frisbee golf on Thursday. Danny stopped a dozen feet away, just staring for a long moment. Not even four days ago he’d fought a dragon here. Signs of the struggle still mard the area: patches of dead grass, a few fallen trees, and –Danny winced at the sight– the destroyed bathrooms, bared off the caution tape. A row of Port-a-Potties has been set up in their stead.

The sound of a guitar broke through Danny’s thoughts. “Feels like I'm stuck. Going nowhere fast.” An older teenage girl was singing while playing. “My life is on the line. I'm running out of time.” The instrument suddenly cut off. Then her voice pitched down, speaking normally. “I’m gonna need more guitar in my ears.” A few more strums. “Perfect.” She glanced over at another teen, holding a bass. “Maggie?”

Beside Danny, Tucker leaned in, right next to his ear. “They’re sound checking!” The half ghost could practically hear the stars in his friend’s eyes.

“We’re listening to GFM sound check!” Danny felt just as giddy.

More strumming instruments, banging on the drums, growling and yelling into the mic. “Mic check! One, two, three! Can you hear me?!”

“Yeah!” Woah!” The few people already gathering in front of the stage yelled an affirmative.

“Sounds good, CJ.” The bassist backed up from the mic, leaving her instrument on a stand. “Let’s get dinner.”

“Pizza!” There was a cheer from the drum set.

The other two band members, all sisters if Danny remembered, left the stage, now empty of people.

Sam tugged on her friends’ arms. “Let’s scope out merch.”

The three hurried over to the merch tables, the group clustered under a tent. First GFM’s merch table, all black and pink and green. Shirts and tank tops. A jersey and hoodie. Wristbands and stickers. Pins. Even a skateboard- with cupcakes and a cheerleader in a black and pink cheer outfit with fishnets.

“I want one of everything.” The goth gushed.

Next Relent’s table- black cloth covered the table, displaying fewer options but no less enticing.

Danny eyed one particular shirt.

Tucker pointed. “Dude, check it.” The shirt showed a typical, if spooky, bed-sheet ghost, the scene complete with the band name, fire, lightning, and little bats.

“I’m so tempted.” The half ghost grinned.

Then Protest’s. A huge banner with the band’s logo hung on a frame, shirts displayed around it. In front of that was a table with posters, cds, stickers, and other offerings. A man with long brown hair and an upper arm tattoo was hanging up one last jacket.

“That’s a sick zip-up.” Tucker commented.

The man turned around…. He looked vaguely familiar. “Thanks man. My bro designed it.” He pointed to another man, a few tables down who was talking to some other people. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m-” He held out his hand to Tucker, only to be interrupted.

“Joshua Bramlett!”

The four turned, only to see-

“Grandma?!” Sam’s eyes crinkled in disbelief of the old woman zooming across the path in her electric wheelchair.

The man’s (presumably Joshua) eyes lit up behind his glasses. “Miss Ida!” He stepped around the group, bending over to hug the woman as her chair stopped. “How have you been?!”

The trio of teens stared, confused. “What is happening right now?” Danny asked.

Meanwhile, the bearded man and Sam’s grandma chatted. “These old joints are acting up. But I wasn’t going to miss seeing you boys for the world.” She patted his hand. “You have to meet my granddaughter.”

Grandma Ida wheeled forward, the man walking back to the trio with her. “This is Sam.” The old woman introduced.

“I’m Josh.” The man offered his hand with a smile.

“Sam.” The goth nodded, accepting the gesture.

“Tucker.”

“Danny.”

Two more hand shakes were given.

Josh then lowered his hands, putting them in his pockets. “Have you ever seen us before?”

“Us?” Danny raised a brow and the man motioned to the banner. “Oh.” The boy blushed. “You're in the band.” That really should have been obvious; hadn’t he seen him on the flier for this very show?

Josh chuckled, giving a shrug. “I sing for The Protest.” The words were so casual, “Are you excited for the show?” and the question eager and genuinely interested.

The half ghost instinctively felt himself relaxing. “Yeah! We’ve been talking about this for weeks.”

“Me and the boys will be sure to put on a good one for you.” He chuckled, before pointing back at the stage. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got more set up to do. I’d love to talk to you guys more after.”

Sure enough, Josh turned and walked away. The three teens stopped, watching for a long moment.

“He seems nice.” Tucker commented.

“That young man’s one of the sweetest, most genuine people you’ll ever meet.” Grandma Ida nodded, eyes twinkling with her smile.

“Who you’ve apparently met before?” Sam frowned down, hands on her hips. “You know the Protest’s lead singer. How come you haven’t taken me to see them before?”

The old woman just shrugged, a mischievous look flickering across her face. Then her eyes lit up, gaze flickering to something near the stage. “Is that Marco Pera I see?!” She called out. “Don’t you run off now! Come talk to Grandma Ida.” The old woman wheeled off, leaving the three teens behind.

The goth lowered her hands to her sides, mouth open. “Unbelievable.”

Danny tugged her arm, diverting her attention. “Come on. There’s another table.”

Sam turned back. Her brow furrowed. “I thought there were only three bands playing.”

Tucker shrugged, leading his friends to the table. Sure enough, there was more merch displayed.

“They have everything.” Danny’s eyes widened. Bags, CDs, posters, stickers, and pins were typical fare. But there were shirts in just about every color, not just black or gray. Keychains and coasters. Wristbands too. Even jewelry, bracelets that looked like they were made of leather.

“You should get that one, Sam.” Tucker pointed teasingly at a pink leather bracelet with the band’s name.

The goth rolled her eyes, giving the technogeek a punch on the arm.

“Hey!” Tucker protested.

Sam ignored him, instead reading the writing on the banner behind the table. “Chaotic Resemblance. Who are these guys anyway? They’re not on the flier.”

“We got added last minute.” A blond man, late twenties with a lip ring, looked up from his phone, putting the device in his pocket. “We’re good friends with the guys in the Protest and playin’ a few hours away tomorrow.” The man shrugged. He had an odd accent Danny couldn’t quite place. “Figured we could swing by.”

“Cool.” Danny said with a slight smile. He had no idea who this band was but the prospect of hearing cool, new music was always exciting.

Briefly, names were exchanged; the man’s name was Travis, yet another lead singer. He asked the trio if they’d heard of any of the other bands playing today and who they were excited to see.

“GFM.” Sam’s eyes sparkled. “I’ve been following their vlog for like a year now. The music kicks ass. And their music videos! I love the one for SMILE.” She stopped, blushing in seeming embarrassment from the rant. “So, yeah. I’m excited.”

Travis laughed, expression open and kind, before asking Tucker and Danny the same question. The technogeek mentioned reading a review of The Protest’s new ep on a music website he liked and listening to the songs a bunch. And Danny…

“Relent’s super cool. Sam introduced them to me, since they’re on that same label GFM used to be on.” He blushed, cheeks scrunching up with his smile. “I’ve listened to the new cd like a hundred times. Especially Ghost and Heavy.” Just a hint of sadness brushed his mind at the thought of that second one. “I… really like those songs.”

“You’ve gotta learn the words, right.” Tucker elbowed him playfully.

The halfa just felt more embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, well uh…”

“Don’t be embarrassed.” Travis leaned forward, a conspiratory twinkle in his eye. “Let me tell you a secret. We love it when fans know the words.”

“Really?” Danny asked hesitantly.

“Yep.” The man nodded. “So you better sing really loud for those guys.” The half ghost nodded eagerly. Then, suddenly strumming sounded from the stage. Travis’ head jerked in the direction. “Oh, we’re sound checking. I have to go. It was great talking to you.”

Again, the trio watched him go. And Danny’s shoulder untensed. He felt better, embarrassment and lingering sadness gone. He knew all the words to Heavy because, well… he’d listened… and cried through the song many times. It’s not like anyone could blame him, right? The last two months had been the hardest of his life. But he’d gotten through it. He’d learned and he’d grown. And that song had been a tiny part of that.

Shaking the thought away, the trio of friends returned to their spot near the front. On the way they passed Danny’s mom and dad, both seated in their camping chairs with what looked like a few other parents. Jazz and a teen with black spiky hair and a nose ring stood on the other side of the stage, a little ways back.

The trio stood in front of the stage, excitement building as the band checked their sound. Minutes later, the musicians walked off, leaving the stage bare and ready. Music crackled to life on the speakers. Pre Recorded but familiar, fast paced and energetic, from bands Danny recognized. Anticipation grew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The shadows were lengthening now, the golden light of late afternoon bathing the scene. The wind blew gently, not too hot or too cold. And the crowd gathered, people packing closer together near the stage. The half ghost’s heart fluttered with excitement. The show must be starting soon…

A cheer rang out around him. The boy looked up.

“Who’s ready to rock?!” It was an older man, maybe ten years older than his dad, bald but with a big, wispy beard and tattoos in a biker jacket. “I’ve always wanted to say that.” He chuckled. “I’m Dave. I’ve been volunteering with Guardians of the Children for ten years now. We’re so excited to have all of you guys here today. ‘Specially these awesome bands on the Gotta Rock ‘em all Tour.”

Another cheer rose up and Dave clapped. “Yeah! Give it up for these dudes.”

“Woo!!” Danny yelled, voice joining his friends.

More clapping and cheering… slowly the sound died down.

The older man pointed. “Later, one of my buddies is goin’ to tell you all about what we Guardians do. But now… are you ready to have your faces melted!?”

“Yeah!” “Woo!” “Yeah!” The half ghost caught a glimpse of Sam, her fists already in the sky. Tucker, mouth open to yell.

“Our first band wasn’t originally planned to be here. They’re on their own tour now but makin’ a special trip to see us. I love these guys. If you’re in my generation, you’re in for a treat.” Dave’s eyes sparkled knowingly. “Give it up for… Chaotic Resemblance!”

To cheers, the band sauntered onto stage, one by one. The drums pounded, cymbals clashing. Then the bass, an easy strum. The guitar, with a flourish and…

“How are we doing, Amity Park?!” Travis ran onto stage, now in a jean vest with studs and hair unbound.

The first song started, unfamiliar words fast. The guitars slung notes, fast and driving. The singer’s voice rose, high and resonating, with a twang.

Danny bobbed his head, a smile growing as he listened. The sound tickled his ears. This was cool! Not his typical style for sure. Maybe it was closer to something he’d heard his parents listening to…?

A hint of a bridge. The guitar solo. On stage, hair flew. The song swept up.

Around the half ghost, the crowd was swept up with it. Danny’s heart beat faster, hair flopping on his forehead with his movement.

The chorus, on final time….

“It's time we break!” Travis half-sung, half-yelled. “The identity crisis toda-ay!” The note held out, long high and reverberating. Instruments clashed, one finally flurry of head-banging.

With a final shout, the sound died…. And the crowd cheered.

“Yeah!!” The halfa clapped, the motion big and exuberant.

One voice rose above the rest. “Woah! Radical, dudes!”

Danny looked back, cheeks bright red. That was his dad, hands up and grinning like a mad man.

On stage, Travis chuckled, pointing. “Thank you, sir.”

The half ghost face palmed….

The show rolled on, embarrassment long forgotten.

“We’ve got one last song!” The singer started. “Thanks for having us.” A cheer from the crowd. The guitars started shredding. “We love you guys. God bless.” A final yell. “Let’s start a riot!”

Travis pumped the air with a fist. “Hey! Hey! Hey!”

Soon the crowd was copying….

Jumping. Hair slinging. Figuring out what to do during the song was natural, the crowd moving as one.

“This is the Riot Anthem!”

“Riot! Riot!” The boy’s heart pumped, grinning.

“Our final call to action!”

“Riot! Riot!” He shouted, fist punching the sky…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The set ended but the show went on, Relent playing next, just as the sun was starting to set.

“What you're about to see is not for free. No, I ain't got time for apologies!” Danny spat the words to the much loved song. “I'm a south boy killa. No scope headshot winner.” Screaming. “I can feel something staring at me!”

Bouncing, the half ghost’s spirit soared.

But the next song was Heavy. “I wrote this song based on my wife’s story. She’s been through so much. So many horrible, painful things. But she’s come out victorious.” The singer’s eyes flicking over the crowd. “So I hope her story helps people. I hope it helps you remember you’re not alone. And it helps you find the strength to break the silence and talk about the things that aren’t talked about enough.”

The drums pounded, slow and steady. The emotional words rang out. “I cannot take the pressure. This feels like forever…”

Danny sang along, vision threatening to blur….

The singer fisted the mic, eyes closed. “Look what you did to my soul. Look at the size of the hole.” He lamented. Tears collected in the corners of the half ghost’s eyes. “Why do I, why do I, why do I feel so heavy?”

The song trickled to a stop and Danny’s heart squeezed. He whipped the tears away….

One final Relent song. The music pounded. Danny jumped and head-banged, excitement returning. His head swung at the bridge, the best part of the song. He sung. “Time’s up! What! What! What! Welcome to the-”

A puff of cold air. Danny stumbled to a stop, looking side to side. His eyes caught on… he blinked. A young man with sandy blond hair, a leather jacket. Was that… the motorcycle ghost he saw in the Zone?

Nervous curiosity squirmed in Danny’s gut as the set ended with a bang. The instruments pounded as the people cheered. With waves, the band left the stage.

The half ghost glanced back, his eyes meeting the other ghost’s. The biker raised an eyebrow. Danny turned back to the front, biting his lip. He should probably go talk to the guy. There was a little time before GFM started.

He tapped on Sam’s shoulder who turned as he leaned closer. “Save my spot. Be back soon.” The goth’s brow furrowed for just a second. Then Danny muttered. “Ghost.” He vaguely motioned with his head.

With no more discussion, he ran off, weaving through the crowd. Sure enough… there was the biker ghost. Johnny? That was what the green haired woman he’d been with before had called him, right? Quickly, Danny approached, half a dozen questions buzzing in his head. But what came out of his mouth…

“You should put that thing out.” His eyes narrowed at the death stick in Johnny’s hand. “Don’t you know cigarettes can kill you?”

The older ghost burst out laughing. “Shit, kid.” He dropped the cigarette, the object disappearing into mist as it fell. “How can you even see me?”

“You’re standing right in front of me.” The halfa raised a brow, arms crossed.

“I’m invisible.” He rolled his eyes like it was obvious. “You a medium or something?”

“A medium? What-”

“Shit, I’ve seen you before.” The biker interrupted, snapping his finger. “You look like that twelve year old who was looking for his Mama.”

“I’m fourteen!” Danny bared his teeth. A cold feeling flickered in his eyes, green light swirling in them.

“Holy….” The other ghost’s eyes widened. “I thought you were the live twin to your dead bro. But… holy f-king hell….” He pointed. “You’re a halfa.”

Said halfa dropped his arms. “What… How?… I just flashed my eyes and knew it like that?”

“I felt it, now that I’m actually lookin’ at ya…” Somehow, Johnny’s eyes widened more. “How come I didn’t feel it before?”

Danny blushed. “That’s complicated…” He shook his head. “What are you doing here?” The question was curious, just a hint of suspicion.

“Watching a show.” He motioned to the stage, matter-of-fact. “Me and Kitten stumbled on a natural portal. Thought we’d have a bit of fun.” He leaned forward, voice lowering. “She’s good about knowing how long one’s gonna be open. Said we’ve got ‘til midnight.”

Danny’s brow furrowed. So that was apparently a thing…? But he didn’t ask. Instead he looked side-to-side…. “Where is she?”

“Snooping around backstage.” The other ghost grinned, mischievously, a hint of sharp teeth flashing.

New suspiciousness flashed in his eyes. A desire flickered- to get the thermos and catch the two ghosts before anything happened. But…. the boy sighed. Johnny was just standing here, watching the show like any other concert goer. He sounded like he was enjoying the music. Maybe Danny could hope….

Danny rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Can you at least try not to cause trouble?”

“Trouble?” The man laughed. “We won’t do nothing too bad.” He winked. “Besides, I’m digging these guys… and girls?” His eyes widened slightly, set on something behind. Probably GFM getting on stage. He shook his head, expression just a bit more genuine. “Believe me, the last thing I want is to stop the party.”

At that, Danny sighed. Behind him, cheers started. “Great. I’ll be near the front. Have fun.” He started turning to leave. “And really, don’t try anything. My parents are ghost hunters after all.” He pointed a thumb to the two Fentons adults, standing in front of their chairs. “You saw that big gun my Mom had in the Realms? She knows how to use it. And…” He flashed his eyes. “My folks aren’t the only ones’ armed.”

For a second, Johnny’s face paled, nervousness flickering across it. Then he smirked, summoning another cigarette with a flick of his fingers. “Alright, kid.” Burgeoning respect shone in those eyes. “See you ‘round.”

Danny ran back to the front, pushing through the crowd. In front of him, pink-colored smoke still shot up from the stage. He arrived at his spot just as Maggie ran on stage.

“What is up Amity? I need you all to make some noise for me tonight!” Arms spread, head back, the teen brought the mic to her mouth and growled….

“Don’t tell me to! Don’t tell me to! SMILE.” A guttural yell.

Hair flying. The crowd chanted around him. “S.M.I.L.E. Why don’t you smile for me?”

His feet pounded, his heart pounded, sweat running down his back. Beside him, Sam spat the words; he could almost hear her growling along. Tucker banged his head, glasses hanging on for dear life. Even so, his friends’ faces shone with gleeful happiness.

The second verse swung around, the chorus again. Danny’s mind filled up with the words, the rhythm. No room for anything more than the sheer exuberance.

The guitar and bass cut off, drums pounding the beat. “Okay, everyone settle down. Boys and girls, are you ready?” The guitarist, CJ, more chanted than sung.

The crowd clapped and yelled, hands in the air.

“LuLu, are you ready?” Pointing at the drummer. “I know I’m ready!” With a grin. “Maggie, are you ready?” Voice pitched up, a performatively raised brow. “Maggie?”

A pause. The audience held their breath, gripped with anticipation and...

“Go!” A growl from said teen. The breakdown hit.

And the crowd lost it. Jumping. Headbanging. Pushing and shoving. Moshing. The horde jolted. Someone ran past Danny. And…. they were circling?! The half ghost grinned manically.

“Jack!”

His ears twitched at the cry. A look back, eyes widened. And… Danny just about felt his soul leave his body. His Dad… his dad was in the circle pit. A flash of worry. But the man was keeping up no problem, sure on his feet.

Danny chuckled, turning back to the front as the last chorus started. His voice joined the rest. At least his dad was having fun….

“Anyone want cupcakes?!” Maggie yelled.

This was it, the last song! And there they were: clear plastic containers with neon-frosted confections. The famed cupcakes!

“Misery loves company, I bet you're fun at parties.” Cupcakes flew. “Chasing after all the things you think will make you happy.” Instinctively, Danny ducked. “You've been played so many times, you'd make the perfect barbie.” The sugary goodness rained down. “Pretend your life's a fairytale, the story's getting boring….” The guitar sped up, fingers flying across the cords.

Adrenaline rushed through his veins, heart pounding a mile a minute. He sang his lungs out. “I don’t need your fantasy!”

Beside him, Sam’s eyes shone with passion, a balled fist to the sky. “'Cause I'm gonna say, gonna say what I wanna say…”

A cupcake nailed her in the shoulder, pink icing smearing across her shirt and face. Danny laughed, pointing. The shocked look on her face!

“…my voice. You can't take it away!”

Something chocolate brown and blue flew at his face. The half ghost flailed to catch and…

“You can’t!”

Blue icing coated his hands. He dropped the cupcake…

“You can’t! You can’t!”

Right into Tucker’s hands. The technogeek smirked, taking a huge bite.

Danny lost it, bursting out laughing. Mind, body, heart, and soul wrapped up, caught up in the moment. Just him and the beat. The stickiness on his hands. His grinning, screaming, laughing friends. The press of the crowd around him. The words pouring out of his mouth.

“This is my life, my voice. You can't take it away!”

His core sang, buzzing inside him. This. This right here. It was amazing, incredible, perfect. The feeling almost euphoric.

This is awesome! The words were more yelled in his head than thought. An almost physical thing, like throwing the idea with his mind to-

“Misery loves company, I bet you're fun at parties.” Sam’s jump sent her careening into him. “Chasing after all the things you think will make you happy!” She’s never looked so happy to be wearing pink.

The breakdown. Tucker’s flailing arm jolted his side, icing smeared around the technogeek’s mouth.

“Now, you’ll see… I don’t need your fantasy!” With bared teeth, head raised to the sky, Danny had never felt so alive….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The set ended with a bang, the clashing of instruments as people cheered. The three sisters left the stage. The previous soundtrack started again, so much quieter than the live music. The half ghost almost felt the crowd breath out, decompress as one of the Guardian of the Children volunteers came up to speak. The mass of people shifted, the space for moshing filling in as some snuck closer to the front and others left. Jazz and Spike drifted closer, standing right beside Danny and his friends.

Danny took a breath, whipping his sweaty forehead.

His sister laughed, giving him a knowing look.

The boy raised a brow. “I’ve got icing on my face now, don’t I?”

“Yep.” Jazz’s tone was full of teasing.

“You want some?” With a grin, the little brother swiped for her.

“Danny!” The older teen shrieked, jumping away.

“Come on! Let me give you a high five!” He reached again.

Jazz weaved, dodging. “No!”

“Come on!” Danny got her right in her face.

“Ew! It’s sticky!” The girl fished in her bag, pulling on a sleeve of wet wipes. Frustiously, she whipped at the blue frosting. “Here, you heathen.” She shoved the package at her brother.

The boy rolled his eyes but obliged, whipping his hands. It did feel nice to get the sticky feeling off them.

A sudden screeching sound through the mic brought Danny’s attention back to the speaker.

The older man speaking smiled sheepishly. “Got too close to the mic there. As I was saying…”

What was the man saying? Danny should probably pay attention…

The boy shuffled foot to foot, watching, listening. He was getting tired from standing here so long. And thirsty. He’d sung, and screamed, and sweated a lot. He glanced back, wanting to go get some water. But his coveted spot…

Another screech. Danny’s gaze jolted back, focus returned. The mic was giving the guy problems, huh? He watched the stage, the lights slowly brightening in the growing darkness. It was well past sunset now. A flicker of movement below the stage caught Danny’s attention. Some thing darted by, dark and strangely formless. That was weird…

A few more minutes and the volunteer finished speaking, leaving the stage. The soundtrack returned as the lights on the stage dimmed.

Danny’s insides fluttered, anticipation rising again. He was still tired, previous emotional high lessened. But the last band was about to come on soon! The headliner!

Beside him, Tucker shook with excitement. “Oh, man. This is gonna be awesome.”

Danny nodded. The lights shifted, spot lighting the drums. And…

“Make some noise, Amity!” Josh ran on stage, jumping. “I wanna see you on your feet!”

The music rumbled and the crowd obeyed. A roar from the background track. Josh fisted the mic and growled. “I caught you like the monster hiding under my bed. Now I’m gonna rip you right out of my head! Like a baseball to the side of the face, I’ll make you disappear without a trace.” Heads bobbed, hands raised. “The match is in my hand… The match is in my hand!” The crowd shook, starting to jump. “You’re just a paper!”

A deafening pop and sound and lights died.

“A paper tiger!” The last yelled words sounded, only audible because of how close Danny was to the stage.

For a few more seconds, the crowd continued jumping, the band still trying to play as Josh sang without amplification . “Nothing more than a… silver tongued… liar?”

But the movement stalled, fizzling out. The half ghost stumbled to a stop, brow furrowing in confusion. Around him the crowd started to murmur.

On stage, the guitarist closest to the trio, short cropped hair and bare faced in a tank top, stummed, no sound coming through the speaker. His head turned toward the others already gathering around the drum set. “Did we just lose power?”

The drummer shrugged. One of the lights flashed on, randomly swiveling on its display. The spotlight shone right in the short haired musician’s face. “Woah!” He closed his eyes, head jerking away. The sound echoed out. The man blinked. “Hey, the mic’s back.”

More strumming attempts. Josh tried his mic again, lowering it with a confused look. The drummer motioned to something on the laptop set up beside the kit.

The guitarist turned his attention back to the audience. “Well, that’s how you know it’s live and we’re not just playing over a recording.” He laughed, strumming his guitar and making a face. “Anyone want to hear a joke?”

Under the stage something black flickered again. Danny titled his head, brow furrowed.

“What's a vampire's favorite kind of candy?” He gave a pause for effect, murmurs of question coming from the audience. Then… "A sucker."

Around him, people chuckled lightly, several groaning at the bad joke. On stage, the man continued. “There’s more where that came from. What do….”

The words drifted over Danny’s head, unable to keep his attention. Instead, his focus was on a… weird, unnaturally dark shadow. It undulated, half-slinging-half-crawling in the recesses under the stage.

Another electric pop. The lights swiveled.

Danny almost swore he heard laughter….

The half ghost’s head turned side to side, looking. Was… no one else really seeing this?

The creature…. The ghost (it must be another ghost, with the way his ghost sense was swirling in his throat) chuckled again, static echoing through the speakers.

A few people winced, covering their ears. “Okay, okay, no more dad jokes.”

Somehow no one was seeing the ghost. How? Other people had been able to see the Lunch Lady and Dora. Wait…. It must have been the partial invisibility like Sidney showed him. But why…

“Hey!” The word was hissed, just a hint of ghostly echo.

Danny’s head jerked, looking for the source of the noise. His gaze scanned the crowd. For just a second, his eyes met his mother’s, her brow wrinkled in concern as she stood up.

Then… his gaze met a wavering, ethereal figure. Johnny…

“Cut it out!” The ghostly man hissed. He drifted forward, unseen by the crowd even as he literally, intangibly floated through them.

Danny’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I’m not doing anything.” He muttered hotly, earning a confused look from Tucker.

The biker ghost “What? No, not-” Another crackle cut off the word, the man covering his ears. His eyes narrowed, fixing on….

The strange embodiment of darkness.

Oh. Danny realized

“Cut it out, Shadow.” The man complained. “I’m actually enjoying this. Go make a kid drop their ice cream or something.”

Danny raised a brow at that last part but Johnny waved him off, attention still on the shadow.

“I’ll bring out the flashlight, man. Just you keep it up and see.” The other ghost threatened.

The living (unliving? undead?) shadow seemed to deflate. With something like a sigh, it zipped off.

The lights came back on. “Hey!” Several positive shouts came from the stage.

“Now we’re getting somewhere!” Danny picked up the words, from the other guitarist and unamplified.

The half ghost turned his attention back to Johnny. “What was that about?” He asked quietly.

The man shrugged. “There’s a reason they call me Unlucky Johnny 13.” He motioned, waving in the general direction the shadow had gone. “Thing’s got a mind of its own.”

That… answered no questions. But the other ghost ignored Danny’s confused look, instead lifting a hand. “There you are Kitty.” His eyes lit up and in a blink, he disappeared, materializing at the green-haired woman’s side seconds later.

Danny just blinked, taking in what had just happened. That was… something.

“...feel like my ears are burning. They’re talking about me, aren’t they?” The words drew the half ghost’s attention back. The guitarist pointed his thumb at his bandmates. “I’m being voted out of the band, aren’t I?” The look was falsely aghast. “This’ll be my last show with the Protest, guys. It’s been fun.”

What the heck had he missed?

Just then, his mom tapped on his shoulder.

Danny turned jerkily, surprised. “When did you get here?”

The woman’s brow furrowed in concern. “You had a strange look on your face. Is everything alright sweetie? ”

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” His eyes flickered to the two ghosts standing at the edge of the crowd. The halfa’s voice lowered, stepping closer to the woman. “There’s two ghosts, the biker couple we saw in the Realms. And this weird shadow ghost that was messing with the sound. The dude, Johnny, yelled at it to stop and it flew off somewhere.”

His mom looked in the direction his gaze had flickered. “I can’t see them.”

“I don’t think anyone else can either. Just me.” The boy shrugged. “It’s a ghost thing.”

“What are they doing?” She asked.

“Just watching the show. Johnny said they came through a natural portal and wanted to have some fun.”

Her forehead wrinkled in worry at the statement. “A natural portal again?”

“We’re good to go!” The crowd cheering interrupted Danny’s response. Josh’s words echoed. “Let’s start this again.”

“We can talk later.” Danny had to raise his voice to be heard. Accepting a nod in response, he turned back to the front.

The band was walking off the stage, only to return moments later to cheers.

The instruments pounded. The singer held the mic to his mouth and… “I caught you like the monster hiding under my bed….”

The song started again and Danny jumped, previous confusion and worry quickly forgotten.

“You’re just a paper! A paper tiger! Nothing more than a silver tongued liar! Paper! Paper Tiger! Incinerated by my new found fire!”

The crowd jumped and screamed. Song after song, excitement built.

Josh sang. “You may feel a change but don't be afraid.”

“The transformation has just begun!” The short-haired guitarist quipped with a grin, pointing at the audience….

The words half-chanted. “In the freak show. In the freak show. In the freak show.” Hands flailed, shoulders shook as Danny and his friends danced.

“Your mind will be blown away! Hey!” Each word punctuated by a fist to the sky. “Hey! Hey!”

“Welcome to the Freakshow!” Second chorus ending, the crowd reached a fever pitch.

His heart beating in time with the music, Danny head-banged. His hair flung, dripping with sweat.

Something square and silver at the edge of his vision. Head turned, brow furrowed. His mom had her phone out, lens facing him.

The boy snorted. Sore neck bobbing faster, he stuck out his tongue at her….

In the small break before the next song… “You’re supposed to take pictures of the band, not me!” Danny laughed…

The set forgaged on. Shredding guitars, pounding drums, screamed words. The songs were incredible. And the message in between…

“If you leave here tonight with one thing, know that you are loved so much. Do you guys understand me?” Murmurs of agreement. “So much. You have no idea.” Josh’s eyes were wide and earnest, so much conviction behind the words. “After we’re done playing tonight, we will be over at the merch tent. Please come talk to us. You are looking at four sinners so we don’t have all the answers, I promise you that. We don’t. We would love to hear your story. We’d love to pray with you. We’d love to talk with you. That’s why we’re here. That’s why all of these bands are here, why we drove hundreds of miles to be here today. To share the hope that we have in Jesus. We love you guys so so much. Come hang out with us. We’ve got a few more for you….”

Danny’s heart squeezed, something deep in him touched by the words. He didn’t know about all of this, but that offer… to be heard, to be listened to. There were plenty of things he couldn’t say but…

Another song started. By now, the almost euphoric excitement had smoothed, lessened, morphed into a more quiet, heartfelt joy. Even still, the words sent goose bumps over the half ghost’s arm.

“This is the time for life revolution

Setting a course to reclaim the broken.

We look to find those lost in the night.

Following hearts that lead like a compass

Fire will rise and we let it guide us.”

The singer leaned over the crowd and the half ghost sang, his soul pouring into each syllable. “Despite the pain, we’ll stay unbroken.”

Each voice ringing in harmony, brown eyes and blue eyes met. Something in Danny’s chest fluttered, breathless and awed. He could never describe the feeling, not completely. But when gazes met… belief resonated. Both meant every single word….

To cheers, the set ended. The lights dimmed as people started walking away. And for a long moment, Danny stood in front of the stage, eyes wide and heart light. That amazed feeling stirred…

“We need to get a picture!” Jazz’s hand on his shoulder drew him out of himself.

“Yeah. Go for it.” The boy smiled, letting his sister put her arm around him.

The pair took a selfie, each with matching grins. The red-head lowered the phone. And Danny finally registered his friends and family hovering around him.

“That first band was so good!” His dad gushed. “They’re just like that band I was in in college! Good ol’ Skunk Punks! But they’ve got much better hair. And better lyrics.”

“Your strengths are in things other than lyrical composition, dear.” His mom graciously didn’t speak on the hair comment.

Sam pulled him and Tucker across the grass. “We need to get pictures with everyone! And merch! I want one of like everything.”

“Yes! I need the GFM snapback. Their set was so good!” The technogeek laughed, pointing at the icing staining her shirt. “They got you to wear pink. And.” He puffed out his chest. “I’m the only one who didn’t get icing on them

The goth rolled her eyes but then a mischievous look passed her face. “That’s what you think.”

“What are you- Hey!”

She swiped a glob of crusting icing from her shirt and shoved it at him. “Ha!”

“Not my beret! Sam, how could you!?”

Danny just laughed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone bought merch. The Relent Ghost shirt and a wristband for GFM and The Protest for Danny. For Sam, the pink and black skateboard, a delightfully cute and creepy pink, green, and black shirt, and a bunch of CDs. (“Who even buys CDs anymore? You can just stream that.” Tucker wrinkled his nose. The goth pulled his hand down over his face. “I want to actually support the bands I like, Tucker. Spotify doesn’t deserve a cent.) The technogeek proceeded to buy his own CD and his coveted snapback.

Danny’s parents even got in on the action. Dad apparently bought a Chaotic Resemblance shirt for everyone in the family. And the famed pink leather bracelet.

Pictures were taken with every band.

“A silly one next!” Noses were scrunched up in ridiculous expressions. Two members of the Protest pretended to be punching each other. Danny laughed more still.

Words were exchanged, excited ones about the show….

“Awesome set!” Each GFM member was offered a high five.

More casual ones, about school and interests. (Unsurprisingly Josh and co were very personable.)

“Yeah. I just started ninth grade. It’s going pretty well.” “What’s your favorite subject?” “Science. I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut…”

And somber ones.

The last band Danny got to speak to was Relent. His heart twisted, words lingering heavy on it. You should say something, a voice in him, not audible but very much present, whispered. The ghost boy listened.

“The last few months have been… really hard for me, for a bunch of reasons. But… I’ve listened to your song, Heavy a bunch of times. And it’s really helped me. Like… uhh… when I couldn’t sleep and just wanted to cry. And… yeah. I’ve listened to it alot and all your other songs so…. Thanks for writing them and putting them out. And… uh… thanks for being here tonight.”

Danny looked down, nervousness flopping his stomach.

“That’s why we write songs and tour.” The lead singer (In their introduction, Danny learned his name was Miggy.) “Like I said on stage, I hope that our songs help people. Thanks for telling me, man.” His expression softened, earnest. “Do you mind if I pray for you?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Danny’s friends and family walked back towards the GEV, the boy lingered for just a moment to look over the field. For just a second, three ghostly figures flickered into existence. Kitty and Johnny, the black shadow curled at the man’s feet, floated in front of the stage, unseen by all except the half ghost. The man nodded in his direction, lifting a cigarette-gripping hand. The green-haired woman waved.

Danny returned the gesture, lips quirking as the couple disappeared. He had a feeling he’d be seeing them again.

With the ghosts gone, the boy turned his attention back to the activity across the field. The bands were still active, packing up instruments and putting them in the vans and buses. Soon enough the stage would be torn down as well, leaving no evidence of the concert that had been here.

Even so, the half ghost’s heavy heart felt lightened. He felt better after talking to Miggy; that had been good for him. The boy sighed. This had been an incredible night.

Sam bumped his shoulder. “Come on. Tucker asked and your dad said he’s taking us to Nasty Burger for shakes.”

It looked like the night wasn’t over yet.

Everyone piled into the GEV and his dad pulled out, leaving the almost empty parking lot. A few minutes later found the trio sitting at a picnic table outside the restaurant, each nursing their own shake.

Chatter batted back and forth, jokes and memories. The three looked through the pictures that had been taken.

“That’s a good one! You got him mid-head bang.” Tucker pointed while he and Danny leaned over Sam’s phone, admiring a picture of Josh Bramlett with his hair spread in a halo above him.

“I love this one.” The goth swiped. This photo was of GFM’s drummer, an excited grin plastered on her face.

“Drummer pics are so hard to get! That’s awesome.” Danny congratulated.

The conversation continued on, milkshakes almost finished and…

The half ghost sighed. “Thanks guys for being there.”

That got him strange looks. “Dude, of course we were going to come to the show with you.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I…” Danny shook his head. He wasn’t exactly sure what prompted this line of thinking but… “I mean…. Thanks for being here for me. With the accident and then splitting myself. I know it’s been hard and you’ve been the best friends I could ask for.” He’d told them as much at Sam’s that day, when they’d convinced Phantom to talk to Fenton about re-fusing and his denial of his death. And even before that…

He blushed. “You guys are the ones who convinced Phantom me to stop denying we were the same person. You guys… you saw me.. You knew me even when I didn’t know myself. So…” He bit his lip. “Thanks for sticking with me,” There in the Hot Topic dressing room, after his ghost self had flown off… “even when I was a jerk to you guys.”

His friends’ expressions softened. “You really don’t have to thank us, Danny. That’s what friends are for.” Sam said.

“Yeah.” Tucker smiled. “We’re your friends. Of course we’ll stick by you. You’d do the same for us.”

Danny sighed, shaking his head. “Like I said, you guys are the best.”

His best friends both reacted out. An awkward group hug… the table in the middle had just their arms touching each other, heads close together. But Danny closed his eyes, heart warm.

This really had been the best day.

End note: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy it. :) As always, feel free to let me know what you liked.

#my fic #face to face #double danny #split danny #danny phantom

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4town4lyfe · 10 months ago

Text

feelings in the cabin chapter 3 - reflections in the tracks

clarifying things, this story is in imanis pov

my age 4 the band

jesse - 26

aaron z - 23

aaron t - 22

robaire - 21

imani - 21 (ignore the 22 in ch 1 LOL little mess there)

tae young - 18 ( he is also lack toes intallerants T-T)

Aaron Z is referred to as 'Z'

Aaron T is referred to as 'T'

i decided to just use t and z bc i was scared it would be confusing and i also got confused XD

SEVENTEEN is a kpop group and so is SHINee

spoiler translationnnn "por favor fale comigo" means please talk to me

i am definitely not finishing this b4 the end of the month LOL

ok plz read and leave comments k bye

After driving for a bit and accidentally getting Robaire and Z into SHINee and SEVENTEEN, we make it back to the cabin. I get out of the van first, followed by Robaire, then Z.

Robaire grabs the drinks that he talked about before, he must have bought them when me and Z were shopping. My mind suddenly reminds me of that flustering moment we shared, making me feel frustrated with myself. I'm in a loving relationship, I shouldn’t be feeling how I am about this.

But, wouldn’t anyone feel flustered if that happened to them? That’s my justification. As Robaire goes inside, assumingly to put the drinks away and hopefully tell the guys to come and help, me and Z grab our fair share of groceries before heading inside as Jesse opens the front door for us, only wearing a jacket, although I can’t scold him, this stuff is getting heavy.

Me and Z make our way to the kitchen to place the bags down as Taeyoung and T head outside, thankfully bundled up. The two of them, along with Jesse, come back inside with the rest of the groceries, joining us in the kitchen.

The six of us put everything away in the fridge, cupboards, and pantry. With all of us, it’s a fairly easy task, and we finish rather quickly. I grab the big bag of Doritos that I got for myself, and head to the living room as everyone else grabs their own snacks and follows suit. T stands in front of me, no snacks in hand.

I assume he wants some of my chips, but then I remember him telling me he wanted to talk before we left, and he looked oddly serious. “Imani, can you come here?” He asks, and I unflatteringly shove some chips in my mouth before getting up. He gently grabs my hand, leading me to our room.

“Ey! What are y’all ‘bout to do?” Robaire shouts out in a suggestive tone, making me shake my head.

“Just start the movie!” T responds back as we turn the corner to the hallway and disappear from their sight. He pushes our bedroom door open, letting me go in first before cutting the light on. I sit down on the bed as he shuts the door and he sits beside me, the radio I brought playing nonstop Christmas music saving us from an awkward silence.

“What’s up? Are you okay?” I tilt my head, turning to him with a slightly concerned expression.

He sighs, shaking his head. “I’m okay, but are you?” Okay… what’s going on?

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” I ask, my voice laced with confusion as he grabs my hands, holding them in his own. “On the way here, when you came back from the gas station, you… were crying.” He reminds me.

Oh, that. “Uhm, yeah. Uh, it was just these two fans, they thought I was Robaire at first, they didn’t seem to like me much.” I half explain.

“What did they do?” He asks, concern etched on his face, making my heart melt. Gosh, I love him. “Uhhh..” I begin fiddling with his ring.

“They didn’t really do much. They were just kinda mean, and…” I stop, genuinely trying to recall, but then I remember the event, making me grimace, I don’t really want to bring it up to him.

“They… just said some mean stuff. You know I’m sensitive. They just wanted to see Robaire, that’s all.” I try to explain without saying too much, but he obviously knows that isn’t the full story.

“Meu amor. Por favor fale comigo.” He pleads, making me look away. He just had to switch to Portuguese, just to make me give up, but I won’t.

“I-I am! They just thought I was Robaire and they were a little upset that he wasn’t with me. Apparently I shouldn’t be in the band because I’m a girl.” I say with a chuckle, beginning to find it a bit amusing.

“And maybe they brought up what happened on my birthday for some reason.” I mutter under my breath, but he, with his super hearing, heard every word.

“They what?” He exclaims, letting my hands go to throw his hands in the air in annoyance. “It’s not a big deal. I was just feeling a bit emotional that day anyways. It’s in the past, babe.” I try to make him see that the memory doesn’t affect me anymore, although it does, in ways more than one.

“Imani, you know I’d never do anything to hurt you, right?” He asks, referring to the non consensual kiss he received from our ex manager. I know it wasn’t his fault, he just naturally attracts people, it’s his silliness and charm. I know he loves me. I know that.

So why did it hurt so bad? I saw it with my own eyes, I saw her kiss him, and he pushed her away just as quick as everything went down.

“Yeah, I know.” I simply respond as he pulls me in for a tight hug. He gives the best hugs, he’s just the best. He pulls away, giving me a peck on the lips before we hear a knock on the door. We both stand up and walk to the door, it’s Z. His gaze goes to me, staring for a bit before looking at T.

“We’re watching Home Alone. Are yall okay?” He asks, his trademark stoic voice barely showing emotion, although we’ve known him long enough to know that he’s not some heartless robot, so don’t worry, he’s concerned, just on the inside.

“Yup, we were just talking.” T nods, his usual cheerful demeanor coming back, although a flicker of… something in his eye as he looks at Z, I can’t put my finger on it, doesn’t go unnoticed by me as the three of us walk back out to the living room.

I grab, well, snatch my chip bag from Robaire's hands, that little heckler stole my spot, before sitting down on the spot on the couch that Jesse was lounging on, pushing his legs away to make space, earning a glare from him. “Sorry grandpa!” I say with a grin, plopping down in the empty spot, before T sits to my left, and Z joins, sitting on my right.

Me and Z haven’t said much since the whole thing at the store, so it’s a tiny bit awkward at the moment. He leans back, crossing his arms, seeming intrigued by the classic movie we watch all the time each year, but lowkey, I am too. I catch him glancing at me every once in a while, so I assume he wants some chips.

“You want some?” I ask, tilting the bag toward him, but he turns his head to me, simply shaking his head no before turning back to watch the movie. “I want some, I want some!” T jokingly whines, and I happily tilt the bag in his direction, though I end up just leaving the bag between our legs, just in case he wants more.

“Man, I wish I was in that family.” We hear Taeyoung say, making us chuckle. “Why?” Jesse asks with a grin. “Just look at that house! All that food! I’d be like,” He makes a cute face, puppy eyes and all. “Omma! Can I please stay at cousin Kevin's house tonight?”

“Dude, we can make that here! We just have frozen stuff.” Robaire chimes in, making Taeyoung remember that we just majorly stocked up, and since they brought me along to shop, I may or may not have bought a bunch of junk.

“Oh. Em. Gee. You’re totally right!” Taeyoung practically jumps off the couch and heads to the kitchen, and I decide to come along with him, suddenly having a taste for that ice cream that Kevin is chowing down on. “Tae, look.” I bring him over to the freezer, opening it and showing him the multiple options of ice cream. I may have gotten a lot but, there are six of us, it’ll run out quickly. Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, mint chocolate chip, moose tracks, coffee, cherry, so many more. We have a big sized freezer, so it’ll be okay.

As he excitedly pulls out the moose tracks, I head over to a cupboard and grab chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and mini marshmallows, setting them down on the counter. He brings the ice cream over and sets it beside our ingredients for sweetness galore. I grab two bowls, setting them down as Taeyoung gets a scooper and puts it down.

Jesse comes in, wanting to join in. He grabs the pista ice cream, making me grimace.

“Pista… I got that for you, by the way.” He's the only one who actually enjoys it. “Yep, thanks pookie.” He says, making me wheeze.

“Did you just call me pookie?” I clutch my stomach, trying not to laugh. “Yes I did. Everyone keeps saying it so I’m joining in.” He walks over to me and Taeyoung, grabbing another bowl and the scooper from the counter, giving himself two scoops and going to rinse the scooper off for us, putting it back down and getting a spoon.

“Bye, pookies!” He calls out before walking out. “Bye…” Me and Taeyoung say in unison, looking at each other and laughing. “I didn’t teach him that word!” Taeyoung exclaims, putting his hands up before scooping us up some moose tracks, two scoops each. I grab the chocolate sauce, being generous with it, a big helping for both as Taeyoung gives us caramel sauce, being equally generous.

I open up the bag of marshmallows, pouring them into our bowls, making our dreams complete. “Wow.” I step back, putting my hands on my hips and admiring our work.

“This is gonna be so good!” Taeyoung grabs two spoons, giving me the smaller one, aw, little bro knows me well.

We grab our bowls and walk back into the living room, sitting back down in our seats. I immediately slam down on my sweet treat, but also taking my time and savoring it. I can see Z side eyeing me as if he wouldn’t scarf this down, and he so would. Well, maybe not with all the extraness.

The movie goes on, the vanilla ice cream runs out very quickly. We get to the point of the movie where Kevin hears his mother, runs out and sees no one. Then, he finally gets to her. They hug, how cute. The moment just… makes me feel bittersweet.

Yeah, his mom seems a little harsh in the beginning, and even forgets him at home. Okay, this isn’t sounding too good. But, she tried to get home as soon as possible and was so happy that he was safe. She apologized too. For everything. She meant it.

She truly cares about her child.

“Oh my gosh, Imani! No way you’re crying at Home Alone!” I hear Jesse shout out, and I realize I’m full on sobbing. I quickly wipe my tears away, feeling a little embarrassed. I can hear everyone chuckling, well, all except Z.

“Ah, she will cry at every movie, cut her some slack!” Robaire says, hopefully knowing why I’m really crying. I feel a hand patting my back, the hand of Z. I look over at him with a small but grateful smile.

“Ha ha, yeah.” I try to play off as I don’t care as I stand up, getting Taeyoungs bowl with my own as he is now in the bathroom and will definitely be a while. I head to the kitchen, rinsing our bowls and putting them in the dishwasher, shutting it with a sigh.

It’s late now, not late enough for me to sleep but I’m not really feeling like staying up. I walk back into the living room to grab my bag of chips, and I notice that T and Z are gone. Robaire is on his phone and Jesse is somehow knocked out cold despite me being gone for like two minutes.

Maybe T is in our room… I head to the bedroom, pushing open the door and fully expecting to see him in bed or whatever, but he’s not there?

“Why didn’t Imani tell me?” I hear T… from Z's room?

#4town #4townie #turning red #turning red 4town #4town aaron t #4town aaron z #4town robaire #4town taeyoung #4town jesse #4townimani

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crimsonxe · 1 year ago

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Since they want to remove comments that correct their bullshit: Going to let everyone know to go ahead and block blakebow cause they literally are a dumbass that decided to bash Lindsay cause they dared joke alongside Barb and Arryn about the bow Sun line being cringe. But let’s dive into this on MY post that won’t get deleted by a petty ass dipshit.

The reality is that the v9 epilogue was cut, because it’d have required new models, new environs, and new assets as is in-line with what was stated by Arryn T an animator that worked on v9; y’know someone that would know. Its also been stated that it can be incorporated into v10 (where it’d be way damn better as a opener). Which is pretty odd to mention if thinking its not going to happen; along with Kerry’s repeated use of “when” not “if” as well as the demeanor and body language of every that doesn’t at all say “yeah, we think the show is done”. Not to mention kind of weird to still have the JL x RWBY crossover part 2 movie more comics coming out for a show that’s done; especially given WBD’s loving to write things off to save money.

v9′s finale being “boring” shows the usual idiotic pebble in skull state of antis, especially salty ass bitches like this one.

rofl the strike which I’m not even sure if it affects ones like RT, if anything is the exact opposite of the dumbassery. If its a factor, then it’d explain why they haven’t already given the greenlight. So great job tearing your own bullshit down xD

So as I said in the removed comments: take your sorry salty disgusting VA bashing ass the fuck off to somewhere else. Instead of running your bitch ass mouth about shit you don’t have a damn clue about. Oh and regardless of anything else, BB is still canon, so drag your sorry ass into a corner to cry about it.

As for everyone else, keep the “greenlight volume 10″ tag going. If anything in spite of pieces of shit like this.

#rwby #bit of a rant #greenlight volume 10 #fuck blakebow

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balletwatchespokemon · 11 months ago

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Indigo League Episode 21

Ah, Bye Bye Butterfree, lots of kids first heartbreak. I never cried over it but I know a lot of people have. Interestingly enough excluding Meowth all the Pokemon seen in this episode have the same name between Japanese and English.

The amount of curve on the ground where they’re walking is amusing to me for some reason.

They’re so silly. Their reaction to seeing a high cliff is to look straight down and comment that they'd die if they fell off it.

Look at them copying Team Rocket, using a hot air balloon and all.

I like Brock showing his age and experience here, he’s usually just being the comedic relief.

And then he goes right back to his annoying romantic bit after seeing a girl in another balloon who is also releasing a Butterfree for mating season. And I’m pretty sure there’s an animation error on Brock’s face, that red glow seems like it was supposed to stay on his face but it’s spilling out on the right there.

Misty teasing Brock is everything to me. And she said exactly that I was thinking too.

What a stylish little man!

Aww, Ash wants the other Butterfree to like his darling boy. <3

Of course Team Rocket has a helicopter the one time the gang is in a balloon. And poor Butterfree, his little bug body slamming into the metal must hurt a lot. He does later switch to the window but that doesn't work either.

Hello Jigglypuff balloon. That's an omen of the future.

Look they're stealing Team Rocket's theme song! This is the first time they've done it. (I think.)

Jesse is cutting out the pokemon middle man and fighting the pokemon herself, she's such a girlboss.

Girl where did you get that? XD

Everyone gets to do something for this rescue!

It's fairly normal but for some reason the way Ash ran up and checked on butterfree was really sweet to me.

Butterfree's fighting ability won over the pretty girl he liked! So in a way, Team Rocket was really helpful today.

I love his little smirk. He's going to destroy them and they know it.

This was so cute! Ash loves his little explosion machine. <3

Not Pikachu crying with the sad music over it!!!!

Ash too! (Random fact, this is the third time he's cried in the show so far and the first time it wasn't over Pikachu.)

........Not even gonna touch that. (I died laughing over this)

Pokeani never disappoints for pretty sunsets.

And that's the episode! It's cute, kinda sad, but has a great vibe overall. One final thing to point out is that they have a memory flashback compilation for Butterfree, which I was amused to see considering they only use clips from like five episodes, but I guess that is about 25% of the number of episodes we've watched so far.

On Wednesday we start another multi episode arc!

#pokemon #pokeani #indigo league #ash ketchum #brock harrison #misty waterflower #meowth #james #jessie #pikachu #butterfree #starmie

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nani-nonny · 1 year ago

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Seeing the Summary makes me giffy especially father-son moment.

Seeing CJ crying makes me go 'Don't hold back, cry! Cry damn it!!', like he suffered a lot, he deserves to be a child.

Seeing how Draxum just couldn't stand it's either because of CJ or he had reached that point of old age!🤣

Seeing April with bat made me go 'Boss girl!!' And it's sad they can't beat him up... Yet.

SEEING PEEPAW PUNCHING OLD GOAT MALE WIFE MADE ME HAPPY AND LAUGHING AGAHAHA!! EVEN HIS BROTHERS WANTS MORE OF THIS BLOOD BATH XDDD

When future April said she's jumping off the ride i was like 'WAIT SHE'S JOINING THE REST?!?!?' Am giddy, the leonardo hotel has one more guest!

WAIT SPLINTER LOST TGE SCROLL IN TOILET?!?! DAMN THAT TOILET TOOK EVERYTHING!!?

Hearing future April's first sentence made me SCREAM!! APRIL!!!!💛💛💛

When purple said party he was CORRECT!! OH MY GOD I CAN'T STOP STIMMING FROM EXCITEMENT AND HAPPINESS FOR LEONARDO AND EVERYONE!!! ❤🧡💛💙💜

" spaghetti and meatballs " SPLINTER MY DUDE AHAHAHA!! WHY THAT?!?! 🤣

" balled up around his energy.” i imagined the brothers and April dancing, playing DJ and Donnie doing fortnite dance XDD

GIYOD8YIYY DONNIE AND THE REST STILL UP FOR THE " am the dad " CALENDAR?!?!

" Draxum, what exactly did you do while I was planning the different ways to get you back for the pain you made me endure? " GOLD 🏆

Man I LOVE HOW THE BROTHERS ARE COMMENTING ON EVERYTHING!! THEY'RE LIKE... 3 MINI ME XD

Even in death Donnie won't admit he's wrong xD totally me 🥲

When draxum said he's getting old my brain though he did something like takin a piece out of him and putting it in, AND HE DID!! OH DRAXUM AM SO SORRY!!

Awww he rushed away because he's embarrassed!! Soft old barry!!

When Leo felt warm inside i thought 'Congratulations! Now you have a body heater, use it in winter!'😂 and i love how everyone just cut Donnie off. “They’re parasites?” HE DID NOT JUST SAID THAT!! ADHD GOES HARD IN THIS ONE.

Finally " *giddy stimming* We’re getting family shenanigans next chapter!! " LET'S FUCKING GOOOOO NANI!!!!!

Aaaahhh I DIDN'T FEEL THIS MUCH EXCITEMENT IN LONG TIME, DON'T GET ME WRONG I LOVE AND DEVOUR EVERY FIC YOU WRITE BUT THIS MAKES ME GO CRAZY!!!! ❤🧡💛💙💜

Oh, Casey’s definitely going to act like a child, we already saw a bit of it in this chapter with the young turtles hehe

And lollll future splinter had lost the scroll down the drains and never bothered to look for it but I believe present!Splinter still has it somewhere in all the moving boxes

Purple looking at F!Leo’s core expecting this:

But got this /j:

My heart is melting from how much you enjoyed this chapter!!!! <3333 it was difficult to write out but I’m glad it came out right

And I completely understand that this chapter is more your style, it’s more family fluff than I’m used to writing lol

#whispers of distant souls #nani nonny answers #rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt fanfiction #future leo au #future leo returns to the past with casey au #rottmnt future leo #happy stimming from the comments #it took a hot minute to get to the family fluff arc lol #and I just noticed we’re about to surpass DMD’s word length #spookyyyy~

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lilolilyr · 2 years ago

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✨ao3 wrapped 2022✨

Felt tagged by cinematicnomad, thx for that!

Works published: 77, and I'm just 4 fics shy of a total amount of 500 works on Ao3, taking prompts atm to crack that nice number before the end of the year!

Word count: 158,133 which means I surpassed my goal of 150k for the year! I knew I'd never make it to the record breaking 500 of last year, what with studying and working cutting into the fandom time, but I did set myself that goal to try and keep up with my writing at least a bit, and I made it past the goal just this week! & It's actually a bit more than the current number because a gift fic is still in my draft until the 31st.

Kudos: 2443

Bookmarks: 201

Subscriptions: 75 (& 138 user subscriptions which I think isn't this year's, but just the current amount? Also, Why does anyone subscribe on Ao3 instead of using bookmarks, it just cloggs the email adsfg)

most popular by kudos: Love me for me at 282

most hits: also love me for me 3195 (I think that's a Mirandy fic? Ao3 stats don't link to the actual work, just showing me the name and amount. I could go to my works & filter for it but I'm feeling lazy)(edit: had to anyway bc of another q later on and yes it's Mirandy! It's just the biggest fandom I'm in at the moment, other fics might just have gotten 30 kudos but then I know literally everyone in for example the Gunpowder Milkshake fandom read it xD so these stats really don't mean a lot without context)

longest: death can't part us, distance might 9k I know that one, TOG reverse bang! I didn't write very long stories this year, barely had the time to finish oneshots before forgetting about the plot, definitely didn't get around to writing any longfics!

shortest: jeesh now I did have to go to works & filter... There are a bunch of '0 words' visual works, but the shortest actual fics are a bunch of drabbles (exactly 100 words each), I wrote 17 of them this year

most comments: here to learn another Mirandy fic. Lovely how active that fandom is!

fics that made me cry: of my own fics?? Idk maybe this Milippa fic. By other people? Lots! Can't think of any atm though either, but if you filter my bookmarks for angst or h/c it's probably everything you find there

fics that made me smile: Goncharov :):):) just the fandom in general but Katfia and the fact that it's the main ship of the fandom & I wrote 15 ficlets already makes me smile a lot :)

gifts: I got a bunch of gift exchange gifts actually from 2021 exchanges, then some where I sent prompts for the fics, and one Mirandy fic where the idea for the fic was mine. I gave 13 gifts as well for various reasons

collaborations: two Andromaquynh reverse bang gift&art combos with @wrenaspun @unjapanologist , and a Mirandy collab discord writing challenge thingy with @guardianrock @stupidsexycopshows @scarlet-heels (does Alyssa have a tumblr?), it was fun!

events: reverse bang, gift exchanges, most recently the Berena winter songfic event by the amazing @batnbreakfast and @ktlsyrtis and the still ongoing Bering and Wells exchange by @purlturtle and Mirandy by @stupidsexycopshows <3

Tagging everyone I've already tagged above, @sterenheart @mako-and-tails-and-stuff @cookie-sheet-toboggan and any other writer mutuals who see this, only if you want to of course!

#ao3 wrapped #ao3 stats #reminds me i think i got an ask about the b&w exchange I ought to answer oupsie #x #tagging meme #ao3 link #lilo writes #lilo writes behind the scenes #my post #mine #dec'22 #27.12.22

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idleglowingpixels · 1 year ago

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XXY -- July 7th. 2023 - Launch Update (Author's Note)

AO3 was glitching on me, so for whatever reason, it wouldn't post my full note, cutting me off about halfway through. I decided I'd just post the full note on here in a separate post to the update so anyone who wants to read it can.

Hello, everyone! After all this time, we've finally reached the conclusion to the first batch of chapters (I consider 7 an extra chapter, for reasons I'll get into when it releases lol). It feels like yesterday I had officially rebooted the fic by uploading Chapter 1 back in February. If you told me then that the job I started wasn't gonna work out, I think I'd cry haha. But if you also told me XXY would have the sheer amount of support it's gained over the last six months, I'd cry too (but happy tears <3).

Before I let myself get too sappy, let me talk about the happenings of this chapter. Butch closes out the first round of POVs, and we get a bit more insight into how he views things. This version of Butch is a lot more reserved than the Butch I've read in others' stories, as I interpreted his canon self to be less talkative than the others and more focused on the battles ahead. Don't get me wrong, I think I've taken that interpretation a lot harder than I anticipated, but I think having the parallel to Buttercup's outspoken nature is nice. He's also (albeit closeted) femme to foil Buttercup's tomboyish personality, which admittedly wouldn't make sense in canon, but it was a change that I felt worked well.

Speaking of Buttercup, while she's still harsh and snappy with his brothers, she's got a bit of a soft spot for Butch. But unlike the blues, who have openly expressed feelings for each other in front of everybody, they've kept the story between them hidden. And for the most part, it's still hidden… (Sorry guys :'D XD)

Also, XXY has its name officially! Roll credits! Yeah it's a mitosis motif, looks like middle school science class ingraining that stuff into my head was worth something haha. Their logo would look more like X><Y. It represents how though they're a full team now, they started as two separate teams (PPG & RRB). Science isn't even my favorite subject, I just thought of the name somewhere along the way and it stuck. XXY actually came from me merging XX and XY for the teams' acronym pattern (AAB), as well as the whole Chemical X and Y thing referring back to their genetic codes, but finding out XXY is an intersex variation was pretty cool too!

Now to the sappy part, sorry in advance lol. I know I say this a lot, but being able to share my work has been keeping me going during this near-drought period I've had with writing over the last few months. It's been so hard not feeling guilty for my lacking progress, but I know there's been people who have kept up with this fic since its original run in 2020-2021 who waited over an entire year through 2022 to see it reboot this year, and their patience made writing these new chapters all the more worth it.

Before the re-launch, the last chapter I wrote of the original (Chapter 4) was uploaded in September of 2021, and I had made numerous updates throughout the in-between period on that last chapter so everyone knew I was still working on it. I'm so very grateful for everyone who waited through that time frame for the soft-reset.

Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, all of you, for your support. Whether you've been here from the beginning, just finished your first read through the whole thing at 3am, or you stumbled upon this fic anywhere in between, I'm so grateful you're a part of this journey with me and appreciate the time you've taken to read through this. I hope you've enjoyed it so far.

As always, thanks so much for all the things, including hits, bookmarks, comments and kudos! Stay hydrated, and have an absolutely wonderful day or night!!! <3

#linposts #xxy #author's note #A/N #ppg #ao3 #link in intro post

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nicoleanell · 1 year ago

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#please continue i need to know things and have no money @houseofpurplestars

Okay, you know what? FUCK IT WE BALL. I took Renfield Audio Commentary notes. Under the cut.

The commentary has no cast but various crew members, mostly talking about technical aspects of the movie - lighting, sets, sound design, etc. - also the screenwriter as I mentioned and producer Samantha Nisenboim leads a lot of the discussion. I largely can't tell who is speaking unless they identify themselves.

It was director Chris McKay's idea to do the flashbacks and recreate the 1931 scenes, not in the original script. Thought it was important to have some backstory for people who had no idea who Renfield is. (And it was a cool way to do it.)

This doesn't come up in the commentary until way later, but the voiceover is something that was added later for exposition reasons. Nobody really sounds that keen on it. It basically disappears after 20 minutes and only comes back briefly when the group dies and at the end.

They literally lit a stunt guy on fire. "We didn't light him on fire once but twice."

McKay having done animation before uses animatics to plan out scenes, and also allows a lot of improv. The woman who played Carol could cry on cue (a skill not used in the movie, just in her audition) and came up with a lot of her own dialogue, the writer joked she could've done a pass on the whole movie.

It originally wasn't even jokes about ska, in an earlier draft it was the band Rush.

Nicholas Hoult ate mostly fake and a couple real (dead) bugs. He was up for eating anything except potato bugs. There were some edible bugs people could try on set but most did Not.

No live bugs were harmed. The ones in his little box are digital.

They mention a stunt coordinator who worked with Marvel, and then they're like "Are we allowed to talk about competing franchises? UNNAMED FRANCHISE FILMS." Heh.

Most of the commenters were watching the final cut of the movie for the first time. It was not released yet when they recorded this.

The hospital exterior and hallway was a real abandoned hospital damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the main (gorgeous) room was a separate set.

They called the first most fucked-up version of Dracula his "Picasso phase" - contorted figure, ears in the wrong place, etc. Took 3.5 hours to apply prosthetics, then hours of shooting and another hour to remove.

They talk a bunch about the COLOR AND SATURATION, my beloved. <3 Something about holding the characters apart from the backgrounds. The fact it it's not visually dark, it's "vibrant day-glo horror" - the things happening are still horrific, but the audience is having Fun in a way they shouldn't be.

A lot of technical talk about how they emulated a film look despite shooting on digital. I can't say I understand any of it but it's cool! They did a good job!

McKay is a "maximum volume all the time" kind of director, I think they were specifically discussing sound here but I thought it summed it all up lmao.

They point out the guy in the restaurant fight scene who goes up and never comes down. Speculating he might've gotten impaled on something or went through the roof, lol.

Pretty much entire Rebecca/Renfield meet cute had to be ADR'd because the audio recorded badly. They did a good job 'cause I never noticed that. One of the hostages never put her wine down, a subtle joke which I also never noticed. XD

The real manager of the restaurant appeared as an extra, also it's the actual owner of the building giving Renfield his apartment keys.

I took a bunch of notes when they were talking about Dracula 2.0's "very moist lips" and shark teeth and his wispy baby hair. Still took 2 hours, not as long as other makeup. They said "He just needs to be wet. He needs to look like a wet sore." The sound effects are sticky, like a "walking open wound".

More talking about the color palette and Renfield's Sweater that everyone loved the moment they saw it on him. It's already colorful but again they did a lot with the color grading to bring it out more, it shows excitement of life coming back to him. As the movie progresses "you see where life exists and where life doesn't." 🥺 Rebecca's blue also looks brighter in the scene in the police station.

The flowers bit with Rebecca was taken in and out of the script a couple times, but it was something Nicholas Hoult loved a lot which is ultimately why they left it in. There was another thing about rats following him around that was cut, the writer said it was like "the weirdness of Renfield's world infringing on his attempts at normalcy." (Later they brought this up again and made it more clear it was Dracula having control over the rats and encroaching on him.)

The Lobos are very "opulent", a lot of gold decor and colors around them.

I wrote down that someone said it was "heartwarming" how pumped Nicholas Hoult and Nic Cage were about the movie, like excited watching the camera tests and stuff.

Canonically Dracula can turn into a wolf. They really would've liked to do more stuff with animals (the turning into wolf and having rats as like his children of the night) but only the bats made it into the movie. Aspirations vs. budget.

APARTMENT SCENE TIME. They did a couple of hours of shooting it over and over, the director really wanted a lot of takes of it & every take Nic Cage was doing something different. One person says it was like a "pinch me" moment on set and very awesome, and the producer jokes "That's why there were so many takes, we were just havin' a good time." They saw the raw footage and were like, oh my gosh, this is terrifying, this is a great scene.

@pinkiepiebones THEY MENTIONED RENFIELD'S BAD PAINT JOB. "If you look at the set, you can see that Renfield is not a master painter. He's a bit slapdash, but he's colorful!" It matches his sweater (he belongs there uwu). They point out the really obvious contrast of Dracula with his pallid face and dark suit against all the bright neon colors. ("Like the eighties threw up in the background, I mean that in the kindest way.")

Nic Cage said that he channelled his dad for some of this performance, the mid-atlantic accent thing. (They tragically do not mention Anne Bancroft at all.) They had a Zoom meeting with him in November 2021 when he first came onboard the movie, and "by December he was basically off-book and just fucking around with what his voice would sound like."

They had a very limited time actually shooting, but a lot of time pre-production (I feel like that GENERALLY explains so much about this movie lol) and that included the actors rehearsing and workshopping stuff in offices and on set. At one point early on both Hoult and Cage were in an office with only the director and screenwriter and just went into doing a scene like it was a play -- it was actually not that scene but the one where he slices his belly open. And the writer afterwards was like "okay, that was insane for me, and later on I found out it was also insane for Nicholas Hoult."

Originally the idea was he was reading from the book, with the self-help as Bible imagery, and there would be a thing with title cards onscreen showing the chapter headings, where he was following what was in the book. (They talk about this in that Cinema Therapy ep on youtube btw. The last title card was like "don't let them back you into a corner" when he ends up in the corner.) "It was quite funny, but because the performances were so incredible they didn't want to distract or take away from the Nicks."

FYI not two minutes into the "Renfield" DVD commentary someone asked what inspired the codependent support group stuff and the screenwriter dead responded "Living it. Life." I love this silly movie to the ends of the earth y'all.

#renfield

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secret-engima · 3 years ago

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@hamelin-born I’m gonna continue our reblog chain in a new post because it was getting incredibly long XD

Gonna stick your reblog and my response under the cut :):

@secret-engima @keeperofgems

Vex and Vax do keep in touch with the larger Galahdian community, especially the not-insubstantial number that’s settled in Insomnia. And it’s - nice. It’s so very, very nice to not only have an extended family who likes them (Crowe is a darling, and Vex won’t hear a word otherwise; Vax just smirks at her name) as well as a community they are part of, and who accepts them unconditionally.

Trinket! sobs. That’s just so beautiful; Trinket as a Behemoth who would follow Vex anywhere, even into another life, and Vex - Vex’s heart is full, full, full. Now, however, comes the actual difficulty of getting armor for her darling boy, not to mention some way of ensuring that people don’t shoot first and question later when they see a Behemoth following her around…

Vex, petting Trinket: They’re all just jealous. Aren’t they, poppet?

The twins are here. Keyleth is here. Trinket is here. So - so. So surely, surely, that must mean that everyone else is, too? And it’s a trembling hope, so raw that it’s almost painful, but - but. But they are Vox Machina, and they have felled gods and fought demons, and the impossible has never daunted them.

Vex choses to believe.

And Keyleth and Vax are just perfect. Vax pretty much proposing marriage to Keyleth the instant he stops crying, and then they both start crying again probably once he explains what the bead means - everyone’s crying. Vax and Keyleth, as he gently (so gently) braids the bead into her hair with trembling fingers, Vex as she watches her brother get married to the love of his life, a marriage denied the last time around -

(And the rain pours down around about them in what the two Galahdians can only take as a good omen, the sign of Grandfather’s approval.)

*snicker* Does Keyleth introduce herself as ‘Keyleth Altius’ now? Or ‘Keyleth of Clan Altius’? Either way, Vax probably - looks utterly lovestruck when he hears her introducing herself like that; not to mention that there’s such an outpouring of goodwill from the wider Galahdian community when the news makes its way around that Vax of Clan Altius got married…

(Vex looks at the two newlyweds fondly and lets herself imagine braiding a bead into her Percy’s hair.)

And just - Vax. Vax with warping. He might even give Nyx a run for his money in terms of just how warptastic he is, how much he spams the ability to teleport with a flick of a dagger - and he can stab all the things now! Woot!

Grog might also be taken with Ravus - not quite as much as he is with Luna. It’s just - Ravus is like a puppy! So bloodthirsty! Like a scrappy little Pike who hasn’t found his teeth yet! It’s adorable! (Ravus: ???)

Oh, that is a beautiful reunion! Just - the feels. Scanlan has Pike back, and he’s basking in her presence before the giant makes a crude comment and the pasty-skinned man makes a cutting one, and then he wants to shout with glee because he knows them. They’re back. He’s got Pike back, he’s got more of his family back, and -

And the next few days are filled both with conversations where they share information and make plans and Scanlan gleefully showing everyone around to the good places. The best beaches, the most refined restaurants, the rowdiest bars (after the kids are tucked away in bed for the night, of course).

Scanlan laughs and laughs and laughs, Percy glaring at him, when he finds out who Percy’s bio-dad is in this lifetime. As well as the fact that he over dramatically faked his own death to do the cliche of running away into the wilderness and got away with it.

They decide to head to Lucis - and more specifically, Insomnia - for a few reasons. The first is that - well. There’s a better then average chance that they’ll find the rest of Vox Machina there. Percy and Grog were born in the Empire; Pike’s from Tenebrae, and Scanlan from Altissia. That’s three of the four major nations, and if the pattern holds… Not to mention that everyone in Tenebrae knows what Pike looks like, and Scanlan has a pretty good ear to the ground in Altissia, so they’re pretty sure that the twins (please, please let it be the twins instead of just Vex) and Keyleth aren’t there.

…also, there’s the fact that, well. Pike - kinda doesn’t think that being on the road nonstop would be particularly good for Ravus, Luna, and Sol in the long run. Kids need - permanency. An education. The certainty that their next meal will come with regularity, protection from the MT patrols and the encroaching reach of the Empire. And there’s only one place that might grant that - Insomnia, the home of the Kings of Lucis, who would probably take in the Blood of the Oracle with open arms. (Plus, Pike might be - kinda concerned for Noctis; his healing wasn’t progressed to the point she would liked it to be at before they had to run…)

So - the plan is to get to Lucis, to get to Insomnia, and then - send one of Luna’s dog-Messengers with a message for Noctis letting them know that they’re there, and asking him to let his father know? They’re working on it.

Scanlan gets them over to mainland Lucis, and they’re traveling, and - someway, somehow, the two roving bands of Vox Machina meet. Admittedly, I’m not quite sure how. I mean, initially I toyed with the idea of Percy just - shooting someone sneaking up behind Vex with ill intent, but that’s not really true to their relationship.

…Percy would face. A substantial amount of ill-will in mainland Lucis. Both due to his hair color, his accent, and the fact that he’s ethnic Niflheimir. He doesn’t really care; he’s beyond that, and if anything is only slightly irritated. And the reason I bring that up, well - remember how Vex and Percy apparently met canonically?

Yes, well. I just have the mental image of Vex, perhaps swaggering into the local jail to - collect her brother after he’s served his time for, I don’t know, public intoxication or public indecency (he would not stop talking about how amazing his wife was!). Vex wanders into the local jail, and -

And she look into a cell and sees a rumpled mop of white hair before two piercing eyes stare up at her and knows.

Me:

Vex and Vax love being part of a loving, larger community yes, and a clan that loves them dearly. Crowe has never understood why Vax snickers at her name sometimes. XD

Honestly Vex probably takes her cub son to a Bellum Forgemaster and has custom armor made for him every time he has a growth spurt? And a very bright, noticeable collar. Sure she can’t go into a major city with him but it’s not like she cares? And Hunters are an odd bunch, this isn’t the first time they’ve see one of their own adopt something with too many teeth. Word spreads fast through Hunter outposts and small towns with a lot of relatives of said Hunters that the Behemoth with the armor and the sparkly collar is Fine™, nobody freak out, he’s just a big softie owned by a pair of Hunter twins.

I love the implication we’ve made here that all of Vox Machina answer to their past life names here. Like- it makes sense? Vex and Vax are from a Clan that accepts Twice-Born and they wanted their old names, so the Clan changed their names to Vex’ahlia and Vax’ildan of Clan Altius. Keyleth’s mom was a bit too busy trying to keep her redhaired child from running off to chat up the nearest monster to be picky when she realized yelling “Keyleth” got a much faster and more obedient response than the name on her daughter’s birth certificate.

Percy’s fancy Niflheim name dies in fire with his royal identity and he’s more than happy to adopt the name Percival de Rolo (cutting out all his many middle names because even he got tired of those). Pike is probably the *only* one who uses her old name more as a Nickname and still answers to her new life name (It’s probably Vesper or something, yes Percy choked on his spit when he was introduced to her because of it). Scanlan changed his name as soon as he was a legal adult to do so because his new life name was, in his opinion, entirely too fussy and fancy.

Much to Percy’s exasperated amazement, Grog has always been Grog. His new life parents were incredibly drunk when he was born and that was what they named him. Grog sees nothing wrong with this.

BUT YES. Keyleth now proudly calls herself Keyleth of Clan Altius and Vax is a sap and goes starry eyed whenever he hears it.

Since Vax and Vex totally blow into Kingsglaive camps on the regular to give info to them about Nif movements and stuff, I can 100% see Vax getting into a competition with Nyx. He will not explain HOW he has magic now, but all the Galahdians are side-eying Vax’s new and adorable spouse.

They all collectively agree not to say a word about it to the King.

Scanlan refuses to admit it, but he *ugly cried* after he realized it wasn’t just Pike. He also proposed to Pike on the spot through his tears and then cried harder when Pike said yes. Ravus was horrified.

They have a very enjoyable like- two weeks to a month hanging out in Altissia? Staying at Scanlan’s place and seeing the sights (getting drunk at bars once the kids are safely in bed). Scanlan teases Percy for having longer hair, but Percy refuses to cut it, because it does help make him look different from his imperial identity.

But hope runs high, and putting Ravus, Luna, and Sol in the care of Regis so Pike and her friends can go find their missing members IS a good idea, so they end up trooping off to Lucis.

...okay that would actually be great but CONSIDER.

Percy separating from the group to shop for something in a smaller town and he’s calmly dealing with the wary looks, because he’s hardly the only Niflheim refugee you know, even if he does stand out even among them. He’s doing fine, but then he gets spotted by a contingent of Kingsglaive.

Rookie Kingsglaive specifically.

Who immediately decide he MUST be a spy and up to no good and threaten to gut him if he doesn’t come with them. Percy doesn’t want to shoot any of King Regis’s soldiers because that would make a bad impression, so he sighs in annoyance and goes with them. He’s sitting in the makeshift prisoner area, trussed up like a goose and highly irritated while the older Glaive argue with the younger ones about arresting someone on Literal Suspicion Only when Keyleth, Vex, and Vax happen to blow in on Trinket for a regular info exchange.

Vex ambles over to see what all the racket is about and the pale, too thin man with vivid green eyes and she knows.

“Percy,” she breathes and his eyes widen before his face twitches, like he wants to start sobbing but won’t let himself

“Vex’ahlia,” he breathes it like a prayer and a moment later several new rookie glaives had bloody noses from Vex’s fist and she’s cutting her husband free and kissing him senseless.

Crowe and her friends, who know about the Twice-Born thing just go- “Oh. *wow* this guy has bad luck with his new life nationality. Oh well, welcome aboard!”

Percy, once he has his breath back, swallows his desire to curl up with Vex somewhere for the next ... month or so and instead he leads the group back to HIS group and the tears commence anew.

Vex proposes to him on the spot and OH LOOK his grown out hair is the perfect length for a marriage bead. :3

(Percy laughs his head off later when he learns Keyleth is a illegit Lucis Caelum)

(Also there are SO MANY HUGS for Vax. So many. Grog nearly crushes his ribs while loudly bawling. They MISSED THEIR ROGUE OKAY.)

#Secret Engima Rambles #Vox Machina in FFXV verse #long post

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cdroloisms · 4 years ago

Note

Dream thought that he can bring server together, he thought that they can be one big family... Well at least he really bond them, even if they bonded to fight against him. Even if that mean he's not part of this server anymore.

right,, the one big happy family thing always destroys me

bc it’s really the driving force behind everything he’s done, the reason why he’s cut off everything he’s ever loved, moved forwards despite everything he’s ever lost. it doesn’t make what he does right, by any means, but c!dream’s longing for a better past, his clinging to a family he loved and lost - it’s so desperately, painfully human and is very much the cherry on top of his whole tragic story. it’s something that tugs at my heart every time i think about it - especially how in the end, pretty much nobody knew what drove him to the lengths he went to, and how everyone still sees him as being motiveless, or doing it all for personal gain and power. it’s reasonable, with their limited povs, but oh man does it hurt when we know his real reasoning.

this,, ended up weirdly long haha but oh man was it fun. have some dream team angst as i cry abt c!dream for the millionth time

tws: death, grief, off-screen murder, implied mental deterioration

Two weeks after Dream dies, Sapnap asks George if he wants to come to the vault.

He almost says no. It’d be an early journey if they want to get out without anyone seeing, and he’s just- tired. He’s been tired for months even though he spends most of his time sleeping, usually can’t even find the energy to pull himself out of bed. The weird dreams hadn’t helped in the slightest, though they’ve been gone for a few weeks, and he’s not seen XD in a long time, save for a few minutes after he first heard the news. In all honesty, he doesn’t want to deal with the mental strain of anything to do with Dream at all.

But- Sapnap is still his best friend, even if they’ve grown apart ever since that fateful night with Dream, and he still knows the Netherborn better than nearly- well, everyone, now, with Dream gone. As much as Sapnap tried to put on a strong front, Dream’s death had taken its toll.

Killing Dream had taken its toll.

He’d been asleep (again) when it all went down, but he knows that somehow, Dream had escaped prison. Somehow, it ended with Sapnap’s sword stabbed hilt-deep in Dream’s chest, an unmarked grave in the forest behind the Community House that he knows Sapnap visits when he thinks nobody’s watching.

So when Sapnap asks, dark bags under his red-rimmed eyes, if he wants to come with him to see what belongings they can find in Dream’s old blackstone-brick vault- he says yes.

“There,” Sapnap gestures over the crest of a netherrack cliff above a bubbling lava lake, and George strains to look at what the other is pointing at. There, settled over a small outcrop of netherrack and gravel, a messy bridge of various blocks leading from it, lies the signature black and purple silhouette of a nether portal. “It’s just across that.”

George hums in acknowledgement, and they clamber down in sync. It’s been a while since he’s spent time one-on-one with Sapnap like this; George had half-forgotten what it feels like, to work with someone so different and yet know them so well. Years and years of teamwork means they fall in step almost without thinking, Sapnap easily sliding forward to block a skeleton’s arrow while George nocks one of his own to shoot it through the skull. It is a partnership built on years of bickering and banter and deep-set trust, of having to face a stronger, more agile opponent together through wind and rain and snow.

He missed it, though he’ll never admit that to anyone but himself.

He hesitates in front of the nether portal, pulling Sapnap back automatically by his sweater sleeve. “You sure the other side is safe?”

“Yeah, yeah- it should be,” Sapnap pulls his arm away, lets him enter the portal first before stepping into the frame himself. “Not a manhunt.”

“Mm,” George laughs, tired. “Just checking.”

The portal hums, purple creeping into the corners of George’s vision and filling it until it’s all he can see, and he rubs at his eyes to clear his vision as he stumbles out the other side. Sapnap walks out, seeming unfazed - it’s always been something that George has envied in the other, how unaffected he is by portals, but he’s also always had worse portal sickness than most- “We’re here.”

The place is - put lightly, a wreck, wooden planks scattered all over the floor and inch-deep water sloshing around his shoes. “What’s with the water?”

“I don’t know, someone must’ve come here after for something,” Sapnap frowns, points across the room to a chute leading upwards, filled with a crude spiral staircase of oak. “We’re going up there.”

George nods, letting him take the lead. The staircase is rickety, the bottom steps waterlogged; Sapnap grimaces the whole way up, makes some comment under his breath about how unsafe it all is, but they continue without much issue. The top of it is surprisingly unassuming - there’s really nothing around, just a small hollowed out space carpeted by savannah grass, shorn short. Sapnap tosses him a pickaxe.

“He respawned up here, that day - he’s gotta have a bed up here somewhere.” He gestures at the plain stone walls surrounding them, “My guess is that it’s just behind one of these walls. Just mine two or three blocks in all the way across, I’ll start from this side.”

“Whatever, Snapnap,” George takes the pickaxe anyway, walking over to the other side of the room and ignoring the protests Sapnap throws at his back. Mining the stone is simple, methodical; it’s a steady rhythm of the pick hitting stone and blocks falling into his inventory; if he closes his eyes, he can almost pretend that they’re in the middle of a manhunt, and Dream has holed himself into the wall as he always does for them to find him. He doesn’t, because thinking about manhunt does nothing but make something cold and choking claw up his throat, almost like guilt, almost like regret, and he doesn’t have the energy for that in the slightest.

His next swing rings oddly hollow, and when the block drops neatly away the wall opens to a narrow corridor. He calls Sapnap over.

“Here.” Sapnap moves with large, heavy strides, face tightening into a foreign expression of grim determination when he catches the darkness behind the one-block hole George mined, “I found it.”

“Well, obviously,” he rolls his eyes as he takes out the bottom block, looking at George from the corner of his eye. “Nice observation, genius.”

“Hey! You told me to find it, and I did, unlike you- you should be thanking me, Sapnap.”

“Whatever, Gogy,” Sapnap sighs, looking into the corridor, feet settling against the ground into a wide stance that George recognizes as the one he’d usually use in a fight. It makes something long-forgotten ache in his chest, joining the dull ball of hurt that has been there for what feels like months, “You ready?”

“Yeah, yeah, hurry up, will you?” The retort rings hollow, dying on his lips even as he says it, and George watches as Sapnap turns his head away and pretends not to notice.

“Let’s go.”

The hallway is dark, dusty, a hastily made thing as shown by the rough gouges made on either side by a quickly working pickaxe. It opens into a tiny room, similarly carved into the mountain with roughhewn walls of stone; George’s lips thin and press against each other as he takes a closer look at the room, stepping in behind Sapnap.

“This place is a mess,” he states drily, scuffing his foot against the floor and cringing at the trail it leaves in the dust. There’s a bed left in the corner, a thin little thing with the covers thrown off, lying halfway on the floor, and a few chests and furnaces scattered aimlessly against the walls and making the whole thing look more cramped. There are papers strewn over the floor and chests, piles of coal and wood left to collect dust in the corners. It looks like a whirlwind swept through the place, and it’s almost eerie to see this room, completely untouched since the twentieth, a snapshot in time of Dream in the middle of his spiral into madness.

Sapnap kicks at one such pile with a humorless scoff, “That’s an understatement.”

“You looking for anything in particular?” George jabs his thumb at the mess in front of them, “Because I’m not cleaning all of that up.”

“I guess- just look through the chests?” Sapnap’s face darkens visibly even despite the dim lighting, and George stifles the urge to poke fun at how the younger clearly didn’t plan this far ahead, per usual. “Just look for anything useful, worth taking back I guess.”

“Mmhm.” He moves to the left-most chest as Sapnap moves to the right, watching from the corner of his eye as the other strikes up a torch to place in the middle of the room. The lid creaks open, and he rummages through the contents, vaguely surprised when his hand meets row after row of glass bottles. He pulls one out, squints at the contents. “Hey Sapnap, is this a regen?”

Sapnap looks over. “Yeah,” he says, rolling his eyes when George pockets it. “Seriously- you know Sam literally has an automatic potion brewer, right. You can just steal from that instead.”

“Or I could just steal from here,” he closes the lid, moving to the next chest. “That’s just his pots chest. He really stacked up, didn’t he?”

“Well, you know Dream. Always had to plan for the end of the world.” Sapnap closes the chest that he was hunched over, tossing over something in a flash of gold, “Was just his food chest. Don’t know why someone needs eight stacks of gapples, but whatever. We can split the god apples later.”

“Sure,” George nods, distracted as he fiddles with clasp of the next chest. This one, unlike the last, seems more worn over the bottom edge of the lid, the wood almost seeming to bear dents where fingers had pressed into the areas right by the clasp again and again. The lid eases open, and he frowns at the chest’s contents; there’s no rhyme or reason to them at first glance. There’s a half-stack of stone in the top left, a couple pieces of leather thrown in the bottom corner, a low-durability crossbow, unenchanted, that he briefly runs his hands over before throwing it back into the chest. He rummages through it for another second, about to dismiss it as a junk chest, when a well-worn book near the back of the chest catches his eye.

He pulls it towards him with careful hands, breath having caught in his throat. The cover is leather, scuffed and scratched in several places, not bearing the dull shine of a book that’s been signed and preserved magically. It doesn’t seem to be titled, no ink against the usual places on the front cover or spine, but the whole thing looks well-loved, the thread of the spine slightly frayed the leather heavily creased from where the cover had been eased open again and again.

He opens the front cover, and sucks in a breath through his teeth.

“Sapnap? I think I found something.”

There, nestled between the front cover and the first page, lays a pile of photographs. Unlike everything else in the room, these are clearly well-loved, well-cared for, the corners are sharp, the surfaces shiny, despite how often they must have been thumbed through and looked at. He plucks the first one off the top of the pile - it’s one that was taken from the inside of the old community house before the floor was replaced with crafting tables, string lights hanging from the ceiling in an impromptu party, Alyssa’s legs dangling from where she’s sitting at the edge of the spiral staircase, Callahan leaning against the wall with a slice of cake held between his hands. Sapnap’s sitting in the middle of the floor across from himself, both of their faces glowing softly in the flickering light - his own face is caught in a grimace, Sapnap bent over himself in laughter- Sapnap walks up behind him, gasps at the sight.

“What are-”

George passes over the photo wordlessly as he moves to the next; there’s Sam, grinning at the camera with a newly tamed Fran by his side, tail a white blur against the green of the grass; Bad, hands clutched around a bucket as he yells at someone off the frame, a salmon head poking slightly out the top; Ponk, sitting proudly in the top branches of his first lemon tree.

His breath catches at the next; it’s dim, the sky a pretty blend of purple-pink from the last remaining dregs of light of a sunset, hovering over the dark edge of the ocean stretching out towards the horizon. They’re sitting in boats, the bottom edges lit softly from the coral sitting in the shallow waters below them, brilliant halos of reds and pinks and yellows and oranges and blues dotted with the soft lights of sea pickles painting the wood in muted rainbows. Sapnap’s smiling from one in the back, head tipped to the side cheekily, right hand lifted in a cocky two-fingered salute. George is sitting in the back of a boat in the foreground, glasses lifted to his forehead, eyes mid-roll even as he grins obligingly at the camera-

And then, in the front, there’s Dream.

His mask is pulled to the side of his face, exposing his freckled skin and brilliant green eyes; he’s smiling widely, all teeth, hair wet and sticking up in a ring of untamed swirls and spikes. His eyes are crinkled at the corners, cheeks red, arm stretched forward off-frame from where he’d held the camera in front of them to take the selfie. George’s thumb brushes over the photo, pressing lightly against the dusty mess of hair framing Dream’s face, pausing at the sight of his pure, unadulterated joy.

What had happened to them?

A soft, choked sound comes from behind him, and George tucks the photos away, pressing them between two random pages in the book. His eyes flicker to the book’s contents, finally, finding Dream’s familiar, looping scrawl written on the first page. The words are big and messy, all capitalized and underlined several times, the last four circled roughly.

REMEMBER WHY YOU’RE DOING THIS: ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY.

He snaps the book shut.

“George-”

“Let’s go home, Sapnap.” He throws one last look at the room, at the messy, desperate edges, the remnants of a man lost in his own reckless belief that he could build something beautiful out of blood and ash. He swallows, blinks back the image of a brilliant smile, freckled cheeks ruddy with laughter, at the golden glow of memories long-forgotten that threaten now to burn him with their warmth. He can imagine Dream, settled in the middle of this mess, pressing himself closer to the fire contained in these photographs, these memories, and not realizing how he’s being burned, can nearly see a ghost of him tucked in these shadowed corners, haunting the hopes that he had clung to against all reason with the promise that it could all be worth it.

Sapnap frowns at him tiredly, photos pressed against his own chest. “George,” he says, cautious, and George’s shoulders hunch defensively.

“Let’s go home,” he stands up, hearing more than seeing as Sapnap does the same. “Whatever closure you’re looking for- you’re not finding it here.”

#tw death #tw grief #tw murder #tw mental deterioration #queue <3 #long post #my writing :D #my asks !!

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