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blueberrypossum · 4 years ago

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No One Does It Like You Do Dastardly Danny x oc

Hi everyone! This is another Shiki x Danny fanfic that I loved writing (I love writing fighting scenes and also winter atmospheres because it’s so cozy! So this is Shiki again (because I love writing her it’s so much fun) I hope you guys don’t mind and hopefully you can just place yourself into it! @greaser-wolf and I just love going back and forth with her oc and mine and it’s so much fun and she is just so wonderful! I hope you guys enjoy!!

WARNING: There is usage of inappropriate words and adult themes ( such as sexual content that is pass making out)

(Also I know that the Hidden city doesn’t have a sun or moon or even weather but I want them to have an atmosphere XD )

Word Bank:

Big Cheese: Big Boss

We’ve been had- Been tricked or deceived.

Yuck- A foolish or stupid person

Music:

You brought your overcoat closer to you as the chilly breeze started to become quicker and snow started to dart through your vision at an easy pace. You tried to start a match between your hooves as you awaited for Danny and the others to investigate the bar, but after each click there was nothing but empty silence of the mountain.

It has been a hot minute since you’ve done a job somewhere this cold, of course it snowed in the Hidden City, but not like this. With your genetics, the cold wouldn’t really bother you, but without harnessing the true potential of your power, you were left shivering under your several layers of clothes.

The mountain side was gorgeous though, the glistening of the snowbanks shined in the afternoon sun and the yokai’s that lived in the hidden village were enjoying warm beverages and gentle conversations. The white layer under your boots crunched as you continuously moved back and forth to keep warm as your boyfriend was taking a little too long to ask where this polar bear yokai was.

When you were given the opportunity to go after one of the most psychotic war lords by your boss, you just couldn’t say no. But you weren’t given a team in the progress, so one you told Danny about it, him and the rest of the Mud Dogz created a plan to help you, with a small price to pay as well.

You were honestly glad that Danny and the others wanted to join you, not only were they your friends, but you couldn’t really trust your teammates in the force. Too bad that Mickey had to do other business and had to sit this one out.

You finally spotted the usual purple wearing rat in the distance, his long brown coat flapping behind him as a gust of wind danced into town, two thin figures close behind him as they made their way over. Frost dusted over Danny’s whiskers as he came up to you, his hands rubbing each other under his gloves as Nova and Leonard joined as well. Leonard was the most bundled out of all four of you, his green body shivering under the black coat he wore.

Nova seemed to be the only one who enjoyed the weather, her nose twitching every time a flake landed on her.

“Are you actually enjoying this?” The ogre asked, an eyebrow raised as she gave him a sly smile.

“When you’re this hot the cold never affects you.”

“....”

“I’m kidding! I’m a Mountain Fishing Cat, this is my element.”

You rolled your eyes at Nova’s comment and looked up at Danny, who had curled himself up close to your side for any connection of warmth.

“Did you find anything out?” You asked him as Nova and Leonard continued to have their fake argument.

Dastardly Danny shook the excess snow off his shoulders and hat as you watched his breath roll out like a cloud.

“Apparently the Big Cheese is holding up somewhere not far from here, hidden within the mountain,” he said with a low huff, his voice going quiet as a family walked by, their children running around them as they played in the snow.

Till’ then we should rent out a nearby cabin, Len said that there is a renting inn nearby.”

You pulled your beanie tighter onto your head as you let out another quiver, the mountain’s thin air starting to get to you. The rat yokai took notice of your sudden chill and unraveled his large coat and then the smaller one he wore under it, his hands gently placing the toasty coat on you.

“Danny I’m fine-”

“Yes, yes, I know, sugar. But I’m sweating like a hog-”

The look you gave him as you settled the coat on you made him stop in his tracks and an embarrassed look crossed his face and for the first time you actually saw Dan flustered.

“Uh, I meant..What I meant to say-”

“Ha! Danny actually messed up on a slang. Maybe Leonard will be cheerful for once!” Nova purred as she joined the conversation, Leonard right at her heels as they joined in on the full group. It seemed that the comment struck a nerve in the ogre and he looked down at the feline, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

“Only in your dreams, kitten.”

Woahhhhhhh, where did that come from?

Both you and Danny were in amazement as a dash of red flared against Nova’s face, and it wasn’t from the cold. It was good to see your friend get bashful for once instead of you and you grinned at the sight, taking in the heat and smell from Danny’s jacket. His cologne was trailed with cigarettes and old spice, and the fur that was sewn into the inside rubbed comfortably against your fur.

Danny placed an apology kiss on your head as Nova and Leonard continued to banter back and forth and you took in the soft texture of his mouth as you sucked in an icy breath.

“Alright you two, we’re burning daylight. Let’s rent a cabin,” you ordered, and you couldn’t help but giggle at the relief that flashed in Nova’s multi-colored eyes as she headed towards one of the wooden signs that showed the option of renting out an isolated cabin, her tail curled against her back.

“This is gonna be a long weekend.”

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You four were able to rent a two bedroom cabin that was a few miles out and packed your bags into a waiting car that would drive you to the location. Leonard wasn’t the happiest to hear that they could only get two rooms, and commented that he would sleep on the couch, but Nova kept flinging comments that he didn’t want to cuddle with her.

“We better hope dat’ our room is on the other side of the house,” Danny whispered to you as Nova would turn from her seat from the front to fight back with Leonard.

“So we don’t hear them?”

Danny shot you a sinister smirk as the arm that was wrapped around you tightened itself.

“More like they don’t hear us.”

The surprise that surfaced over your face only fueled the rat more as you squirmed in the car seat, the warm air that was blasted throughout the car was no longer nice, but overly steaming.

The worker checked the cabin for food and cleaning supplies and left instructions if they needed anything.

The wooden cabin was decorated with lemon and wine, candles and lanterns lit up the shack anda fire crackled in the fireplace. The front door brought you to the living room on the left and the kitchen on the right and the stairs were a few feet away right as you walked in. The only thing upstairs was one of the bedrooms and a door in the kitchen led to the other spare bedroom. After searching you all found that the bathroom was under the stairs.

“I’m guessing the couple gets the upstairs room?” Nova asked as she took off her coat and placed it on the coat stand by the door. Danny sent the feline a cocky smile as his hand grazed over your lower hip.

“You betcha.”

Flustered words came out of your mouth as you moved your bags upstairs, almost tripping your way up to keep Danny’s wandering hands and him also trying to carry your bags.

The only thing upstairs was an open room and an extra bathroom, a large king bed laid up against the wall and furry rugs were enriched onto the wooden floor. Dressers and shelves were dotted around the room and all four of you started to unpack and get yourself settled. You undress yourself down from your layers until you only wear a black long-sleeve shirt with a maroon cardigan and elastic jeans to keep you warm.

“Ya sure you don’t need help taking off the rest?”

“You know that Nova and Leonard are downstairs, right?”

“They gotta sleep at one point, darling.”

“And so do we!”

You dodged Danny’s hug attack and skipped down the stairs to the sound of light music humming throughout the cabin. A delicious smell had drifted into the air as you made your way to the kitchen and found Nova sitting on the kitchen counter while Leonard was behind the stove, his fingers working on dinner. You barely heard Leonard telling the feline to not get any fur into the food as Danny came up beside you, his body wrapped in grey long-sleeve and work pants.

The tabby pulled her hair up into a ponytail and continued to read the book in her hands, the cream turtleneck she wore blazed against the fire’s shadow.

You looked over Leonard’s shoulder and saw the rice, herbs, and sauces that were stirring in the pan while he separated an egg yolk from its whites.

“So, can all members of the Mud Dogz cook?” You asked as you sat at the island of the kitchen.

“Mickey is not good at cooking, never ask him to cook for you.”

“Oh come on, it can’t be that bad.”

“Nah, toots, never eat what that eel cooks up. Not after the meatloaf.”

“Oh don’t even remind me of that day! My stomach still doesn’t sit right after that.”

A confused laugh escaped your mouth as the ogre continued to make dinner, Nova handing him ingredients that he needed while flipping through her book. The melody that came from the bluetooth speaker from the living room swayed into the kitchen, and the cozy and friendly atmosphere made you loosened up as the conversation continued on without you, your body heading to the fridge in search of milk.

The scent of dinner floated around as you dug through the cabinets, Nova moving over when you came around the area she sat. You finally found the hot chocolate packets as Leonard had just finished up the meal, the steam rising from the mixture of rice, vegetables, and potato chips made your stomach growl with hunger.

You set the ingredients you were gathering aside as you four enjoyed the dinner, the cooked egg and spice made your cheeks spill with warmth. There were a few comments thrown here and there, such as going over the plan and what they were gonna do with the money. Your main concern was just getting the guy, Shia Albright, and he was on the top list of criminals for a reason; you just hoped that you and your friends could handle the polar bear yokai.

Apparently your concern was noted because a hand under the table was placed over your thigh.

You looked down and watched as Danny gave your leg a squeeze of reinsurance, his nails digging into the fabric.

It had been several months dating Danny, and you were surprised that it was the most love and happiness you’ve had in a long while. Even with his open book personality, there was still a lot more to uncover from the rat yokai. It was pleasing to learn from Danny, to give him the chance he had been fighting for since the beginning. He was very open to you, with how he felt, what he wanted to do with you. And of course it made you squeal with exhilaration, but you both kept things slow. You were still a cop, and he was still a thief.

After dinner, Nova and Danny did the dishes while you started to make the hot chocolate. Your hooves worked carefully to boil the milk and then get out the whipping cream, happy to find that they also bought the chocolate syrup you had placed on the shopping list.

“You are so washing that pot afterwards,” Nova commented, her paws drying themselves on a cloth after placing the dishes in the drying rack.

“With how good it’ll taste, you’ll be licking the pan clean,” you joked back, pouring the creamy liquid into multiple cups before decorating them with the heavy cream and dark liquid. You found a platter to carry the drinks and you brought them over to the living room, Leonard was in one of the chairs, Danny on the couch, and Nova on the floor. Each of them gave you their own thank you as you let them grab a mug off the tray, leaving it on the floor as you got comfortable next to Danny, your legs curling up to you.

The soft guitar played in the background as snow drifted outside, Nova flipping her nails through her book, Leonard going over the plans notes in his hands, and Danny was holding you tight, one hand held the drink and the other held you. And within the guitar strings and the casual crackle of the fire, the dread that was growing on you was almost unnoticeable. Almost.

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The summit air was brutal against your fur as you and your group headed up to the hidden factory, your boots making deep imprints in the white ground.

The plan was simple, you had your laser and taser gun, and once you and Danny found the opportunity to get Shia, you would pounce while Leonard and Nova went after the gold they had been mining for in the factory, a lightness spell to carry it was placed on the bag the ogre carried.

It almost seemed that it didn’t matter how many coverings you wore, the winter hands reached around into your body and gripped every nerve ending.

Nova was the only one up ahead, her long legs carrying her easily through the snow as she led up to one of the broken areas of the factory; Leonard had scouted out in the blueprints, the metal and scrap of the building being torn away as if a large animal bit into it. The tabby hopped over one of the uprooted pieces of metal and plummeted into the darkness below and you followed, your feet landing harshly on the metal floor as the boys followed, the only light being seen was a glow stick, the orange glow outlining you and everyone else.

The feline handed Leonard the light stick as he pulled out the layout of the workshop, his footprints leaving weak imprints of snow on the black floor. You tried to flick a flame between your hooves, but all you got was the snapping echo of the aftermath. Ever since the run-in with your dad a month ago, your powers seemed to bury themselves into your body, where you couldn’t even feel the swirling ball of warmth that usually danced in your veins. It almost made you feel useless in situations like this, when the group needed fire, it just seemed like you weren’t the match for it to light.

But your feelings were gonna have to wait as you heard the slightest pitter patter against the metal and you pushed your friends up against the wall in a swift move. One of Shia’s guards walked slowly by, his body decked out in warm armor and a gun was strapped against his chest. The male yokai strolled down the hallway, the flicker of his flashlight slowly dying out and the staircase went silent.

Once the cost was clear, Leonard turned to Danny and handed him a copy of the map.

“Alright, once you have him, meet up at the F2 tower, he should be in his office,” Leonard ordered, even with being in an isolated area, his breath still collected in front of him.

Danny took the extra map and you eyed it at his side. Shia’s office was up several floors, and you both knew that there would be groups of henchmen on lookout. But, with stealth and silence, you and Danny could make it up there effortlessly.

“Stay safe you two,” Nova purred quietly and her and the ogre dashed into the shadows, the only sign of them ever being there was the leftover snow from their bodies drifting off.

You rolled your shoulders as your biceps tensed under the cotton shirt and Danny turned around and handed you the map.

“Lead the way, toots.”

A grin leveled on your face as you took the map and started the walk up the first flight of stairs, your boots eagerly carrying you up, Danny right at your heels. You ran into your first guard at the third floor, the husky yokai let out a yelp of surprise before your fist came into contact with his snout, and then your knee into stomach, and with one single swipe you had your taser in his chest, a loud thud vibrated against your feet as he made contact with the ground.

The next flight had you and Danny taking out multiple guys, both of you darting between crates and mining equipment and you took out yokai’s with your taser and Danny took his fair share out with a knocking out technique.

After minutes of fighting and sneaking around, you both finally made it the top and final floor, the staircase leading straight to Shia’s office.

The hallway that looped to the office was long and dark, the only sound the mirrored around was the old factory settling to its age. Dastardly was flanking you as your fingers grazed over the metal door, the bitterness of the cold traveled from the metal to the inside of your glove. The door was already unlocked from its handle and you pushed it open, the unholy light that dripped out of the room pooling over you like water.

You pointed your gun through the doorway and you took in the large office. The room was cold and white fur littered the ground as you continued further in, Danny’s tail curled in dread as you got closer to the large office chair, the end of the laser gun pushing the leather seat to the side.

No one was there, nothing was there except a half done cigar that sat in an ashtray. Your small brows furrowed in confusion as you placed the gun back in the holster on your thigh as your hands started to dart around his desk.

“He’s...he’s schedule said that he would be here, if he’s not here, then where is he?” You asked out loud. The office had large windows and Danny peaked his head out to watch the soldiers quickly dart around, his arms crossing in question.

You searched his drawers and file cabinets for any information, but even if you did find anything, you still wouldn’t have him in chains.

And then the door slammed shut and the sound of a blockade over it blasted through the cracks.

“Well dat ain’t good,” Danny grunted and the sound of hushed orders and then a slow, irritable ticking clicked throughout the room. Your ears snapped with the rhythm and then the sound of gunfire was heard in the distance.

The clicking was getting faster, and with all the yokai’s running away…

“We’ve been had!”

Danny grabbed your hand and raced over to the furthest window on the left, his hand taking hold of your laser pistol and shot through the clear material until the glass shattered into falling pieces, like icicles hanging off the side of a house. There was a torn edge that led over to a large scissor lift and your boots scrapped over the broken glass, the grey outer layer held your stance steady as the beating of the hidden bombs continued.

“Ladies first!” The rat exclaimed as you both looked at the jump ahead. You sent him a hot glare but got ready and pushed off, one of the blasts from the concealed bombs went off and the heat waved knocked you forward and you landed hard against the platform, the pop in your shoulder caused a grunt to escape your throat.

You got up and looked up at Danny, whose figure was still against the window frame, the blast of the bomb sooted the side of his body.

“Alright, your turn!” You screamed up at him and then let out a wail as the scissor lift groaned under you and the metal bars started to creak under the new weight.

The rat took a step back and with a graceful leap he landed right next to you, his hand instantly pulled the level on the side just as the rest of the bombs started to go off one by one. He blocked his body over you as flying debris exploded around you in a ray of black and orange. The impact of the blast knocked both of you over, sending Danny sliding next you and over the side.

“Danny!”

The hanging platform whined as the weight was shifted over to one side and you scooted over to the ledge, your hand gripping Danny’s wrist before his claws slipped from the ledge. His mass was nothing you were used to, but you were used to him being on your back, not over the side of a dangerous overhang that could collapse any minute. The metal shafting and room was groaning with pain as the pillars and other rooms started to fall apart due to the explosion.

You pulled your other hand around him and stood up, your boosts digging into the black outline of the scissor lift as you brought him back up and before he could thank you the ramp gave way and dropped towards the first level.

Curse words sprinted out of both of your mouths as you held onto the sides as the platform crashed into the floor, sending you both rolling to the opposite side as the destroyed roof rammed into the scissor lift once it hit the bottom.

A fit of coughs lashed out of your mouth as the dust swirled around you, the light creaking of broken metal and fire ringing in your ears as your name was called out.

“Shiki?! Shiki!”

You pushed yourself up and hissed at the small cuts and bruises that were scattered over your body, but you counted your blessings to find no major injuries. The rat’s voice continued to vibrate against the splintered mess.

“Danny?! Are you alright?!” You called to him and then took several steps back as more debris gave way, taking you further away from the wreck and Danny. His voice became muffled and you just had to tell yourself that he was fine, that you needed to meet him and the others at the tower.

Hateful tears sprang in the corner of your eyes as you made your way through the factory, your legs dodging small piles of flames as you started to recognize the area you were in. Of course this plan had failed, this mob boss knew everything about everyone, and he wanted to make sure that the death of you would be a prime example to not go after him. That only gave you more rage, more strength to go after him as you crawled through a small hole created by shattered mining equipment.

You reached for the door in front of you until two forms crashed through it, your body flattening itself against the wall as the two balls of fur ripped each other apart. A cat-like yowl came from one of the forms and you recognized the winter outfit that was torn from battle.

“Nova?!”

The cat then swiped her claws across the wolf yokai’s face that made him let go of her. She pushed herself against the wall and used the hard surface to kick the yokai into one of the multiple holes that lead into the mines, his terrifying howls haunting the rocky surface.

Nova turned to you with an astonished expression, a cut on her head bleeding a trail down her face.

“Are you okay? Where’s Leonard?”

“We got seperated, but he has the gold. What about Danny? And Shia?”

“This was a setup! They knew we were coming.”

Nova frowned as you both started to look for another way out, her tail whizzing back and forth like a strip of rope.

“This wasn’t a setup, another revival gang showed up. Apparently that dumb polar bear thought that he would make his hideout into a trap so he can get rid of them.”

It felt wrong but joy pulsed through your body as you found a torn apart wall that led outside, the light snowfall was now a blizzarding storm. If Shia was fighting against a rival group, then he didn’t know that an officer was here, and you could still get the jump on him.

The feline started to proceed over to the watchtower F2 but you grabbed her hand and tugged on it.

“We can still get Shia! He’ll be so distracted that he won’t see us coming!”

Nova’s eyes flashed down to you and then over to the tower, her left ear flicking with concentration along with her tongue licking off the excess blood from the corner of her mouth.

“Alright, if we can find him under ten minutes.”

You led in the opposite direction and towards one of the gaping holes of the mines, the echoes of gunfire and battle cries filled your ears like music.

The snowstorm was slowly getting worse, the petals now turned into sharp splinters as your vision started to get covered with white. The crunch under your combat boots was barely heard and you could barely feel the metal pathway that was under you, your covered hands holding onto the side as a large gust of wind tried to push you over. The bellow’s of the yokai’s started to get louder and with one flick of your thin ear, you were spinning around to push Nova out of the way from a hidden attacker.

“Look out!”

The female snow leopard leapt onto you, her claws shredding out of her gloves and into your coat and a low hiss growed out of her white throat. Your hooves wacked into her nose as you pressed yourself further into the railing and with the yokai’s extra burden of weight the rusted pipes gave way and folded over, taking you and the henchmen with you.

“Shiki!” Nova called for you but it was barely heard as you and the snow leopard rolled through the snow and down the slope, away from the factory and the watchtower. Even with the smooth snow to impact your tumble, the frozen floor underneath still stabbed itself into you as you both came to a sliding halt.

Your body was freezing now, the cold hands of winter grasping over your form and it took all your strength to raise yourself up. Far from the factory, you and the female snow leopard had landed over a frozen lake, ice holding your weight easily as the war around you continued. Not far from the lake were several military vans and henchmen shooting bullets and arrows at two hidden figures behind separate crates.

“Danny! Leonard!”

The two yokai turned at the sound of their names and spotted you. Leonard had a few cuts scrapped over his body and his shirt was torn while Danny was covered in more soot than before and his hat was gone, but both seemed relatively fine. When the rat caught sight of you, a gust of comfort filled his hollow lungs to see that you were still breathing. His hand planted against the crate he was behind to get up but he instantly lunged back down when more ammo was shot at him.

You made a step towards him but a blur of chalk pounced for you out from nothingness, her claws tearing up the ice surface like nails against a chalkboard. You dodged a swipe from her and then a kick with your hands, your hands going for the laser pistol from your thigh but the flexible feline broke it out of your grip, the weapon skating over the frozen water.

Jeez! Is every cat yokai like this?

She drove you further into the middle of the lake, your boots having trouble keeping friction over the slippery exterior while the snow leopard didn’t wear any form of shoe except for her pants connecting with the middle of her paws, but it kept her upright as she continued to chase you.

Nova, if you can hear me right now, know that you and I are having a fighting session once this all over!

The woman jumped for you and you swiftly moved to the side, and with one kick of your foot it sent the leopard back to the bank of the lake, her face going straight into a pile of snow near the battle Danny and Leonard were in. You couldn’t help but smirk at the small victory, but a pair of azure eyes poked from the heap of white, fury marking the snow leopard’s face as she looked around.

Near her was a minecart filled of pickaxes and safety hats and her paws swaddled one of the weapons, a wicked smile on her face as she neared the lake once again and with one hit she stabbed the axe into the frozen glass and millions of broken cracks surfaced and the watery hell took you down.

“SHIKI!”

Danny was on his feet as you disappeared into dark liquid, the clumps of ice drifted around the spot you had fallen into. Leonard was by his side now and as the rat started to race towards the lake, the ogre tackled him and rolled them both behind a tree as the polar bear’s henchmen started to make their way closer.

“Are you crazy?! You can’t survive that temperature! You’ll also die before you get there!”

“Get off of me you bloody yuck! She will drown!”

Before Danny was going to elbow his friend right in the jaw, a pair of legs jogged right past them and they glanced up to see Nova racing towards the half-ruined lake, her arms quickly working off her two layers of coats and her cream turtleneck until her grey thermal showed. She then hopped over the snow leopard yokai and took the pickaxe from her grey paws, her momentum slamming the ax into the shattered ice until a large enough hole was created and the Mountain Fishing cat jumped in without another thought.

“What is wrong with these girls?!” Leonard exclaimed as he let Danny go and knocked out a guy who came too close, his fingers taking control of the rifle the henchmen had in his talons.

Danny could hardly hear the leader as he searched over the lake, trying to find your figure drifting in the cold liquid.

He had never felt fear like this, as if he was the one drowning instead of you. He ignored the ongoing dogfight around him as every second that ticked by felt like lifetimes. With how shattered the pool of water was, the rat yokai saw how strong and recentless the current was underneath, the tide pushing up against anything it could get its grasp on. Including you.

And then him and Leonard saw it. It was barely visible but a white paw came crashing out of the ice on the other side of the lake, the enlarged nails broke into the ice like an anchor and created long marks as the creature heaved itself out.

Danny felt his friend next to him lose his breath as Nova broke the surface, water droplets falling down her hair and fur as she pulled herself out of the water, and in her arms was a waterlogged you, steam rolling off both of you as your friend dragged you out.

The men didn’t have to have sonic hearing to hear the feline’s grunts as she dragged you over to the shore, Nova’s paws working on your chest as she performed CPR.

Danny’s body hurdled into action as he stole the gun out of Leonard’s hands and shot at the criminals crowding them, his dead-eye like aim taking out over four before he started to haul ass over to you and Nova, not even giving Leonard a heads up as the black-haired stared dumbfounded at the rat before joining the retreat.

You couldn’t hear anything, you couldn’t taste or see anything, all you felt was the cold. It violated you and suffocated you as you felt the water slush around in your lungs. And then the pressure, something or someone was placing pressure on your filled lungs to the point your chest couldn’t take it anymore and you perked up, your head turning over to vomit up the lake water you had swallowed.

You could barely open your eyes as you tried to take in your surroundings, but it was so cold, why was it so cold?

“Shiki! Shiki are you alright?!”

A bubbly groan came out of your waterlogged throat and you thought to yourself that you would never drink water again and that you hated winter. Your head was exposed to the elements and you realize that your beanie was gone.

Your dark eyes were able to open to peer up, the flakes of snow coating your eyelashes. Nova was soaked leaning over you, her fur drooped with the soggy water and her whiskers started to become white. But another figure was coming into your vision and as you tried to warn your friend, all that came out was a backbreaking shiver.

The cat then let out a cry as she was grabbed and tossed to the only unbroken part of the lake and all you could do was watch in horror as the snow leopard started to attack your friend, nothing protecting Nova except her thin thermal shirt and her own wits.

Nov...Nova,” you shivered out and your hand reached up as the evil leopard took a hold of Nova’s neck and slammed her into the ice, the fragile solid breaking under her. Hands were wrapped around you now and your freezing hand went for your taser but the familiar and tender scent of Danny wafted your senses.

“Dann...Danny?”

“I’m here, sweetheart, I’m here.”

“No..Nova needs..”

“Leonard has it handled, we need to get ya outta here.”

The yokai lifted you up easily, the crisp drops of water that fell from your clothes barely made it to the ground as they froze. Even with your head making contact with the rat’s soft fur, it was almost nothing against your frozen skin and stiff fur.

As your boyfriend carried you deeper into the woods, you turned your head and spotted Leonard and Nova not far behind, the bitter color of crimson dripped from Nova’s claws and Leonard’s hands.

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You all four made it back to the cabin in one piece and Nova was quick on getting her boots off and looking over at you.

“Danny, I need you to go and take off her clothes.”

“I’m sorry? What?”

“Because if she sits in those wet clothes she’ll get hypothermia! And then she can die! So take her upstairs and get her undressed and in a new pair of clothes!”

You could tell Nova was panicking, when her voice rose over and past a joking manner you knew she was nervous and you could hear her dive into the kitchen and started to search. You wanted to argue that you were fine, but you found no power behind your muscles and all you could do was give a little cry of pain as your body was pounded with the cold.

When Danny made it up to your room he sat you on the bathroom floor and started to derope you. His fingers scrambled over the black coat, and then the green overcoat, the maroon cardigan and then your black sweater was all off. You were cold to the touch and your brown fur was dyed to a darker oak. Even with the cold layers off of you your body reacted violently against it and your arms wrapped around yourself. Danny felt his heart shatter like the lake that consumed you and placed a small kiss on the top of your head, as if he was afraid you would break with just one touch.

You had to help him take off the two layers of pants you wore until you laid almost nude in front of him and the harsh flush of warmth crossed your face, but it just made you feel a lot more sicker. The rat saw the temperature in your face change and he got up and to your dresser, not one flash of emotion came across his face as he headed a new outfit for you.

“You got this, call if ya need me,” he whispered silently to you and then left the bathroom and leaned against the wall next to you.

You couldn’t but try to roll your eyes as you tried to ease your bra off. Even in a life or death situation he was still going to be a gentleman towards you. It was hard though, the cold undergarment clinged into you like glue and it took you several minutes to even get both of them off. You threw the wet clothes aside and placed the ones Danny had handed you and the cotton grey long-sleeve and black leggings under sweatpants were on after drying yourself off.

You could still feel the sickness trying to settle on you and a sneeze blew out of your face.

“Gesundheit.”

“You..you speak german?”

“And french, if you’re catching my drift.”

A laugh curled out of your throat but it came out in a fit of coughs. From the restroom you heard Nova call for Danny and his light footsteps drifted away from the room and down the stairs.

Nova and Leonard were in new clothes and the only evidence of Nova falling into the lake was the dampness in her fur and the silent shiver that drove through her body every few minutes.

“Okay, keep her warm and under blankets. No placing her in hot water either.”

“Rag-a-muffin, why are ya telling me this?”

“Leonard is coming with me to find elderberries, it will help make a beverage that will make her feel better and push away any case of fever. But you need to bring her temperature up.”

“And how am I supposed to do dat’?”

“You’re her boyfriend, figure it out.” The feline joked and slammed the front door.

Danny, for the first time in his life, felt an awkward hotness in his stomach as he headed up the stairs to find you curled up in the bed, the vicious shakes that erupted under the sheets made your boyfriend worry, and then Nova’s words came in mind.

The snowfall had slowed down to a gentle delay and the cabin was sprinkled with the light sugar. Danny started the fireplace that was settled in your room, his calloused hands throwing the pieces of firewood into the hungry flame.

His frame floated over to your trembling form and joined you under the blankets, his hands wrapping around you and you instantly curled into his chest, your hooves digging into his back as you tried to absorb every ounce of warmth he had to offer. A rough chuckle vibrated against your head and you buried yourself into his exposed chest fur. Danny placed a soft kiss on your head, and then your cheeks, and then the tip of your snout, and he waved his hand under your chin to look up at him and he kissed you.

The contact from his lips sent a jolt of fire into your throat and you took in the kiss with every pint of strength you had left. But when his body jostled to where he was hovering over you, one hand holding himself up next to your head and the other holding your head up to meet his, you realized the eagerness behind each kiss and release.

His body was over you now, his legs tangled with yours as you sunk further into the mattress, his fingers playing with the tufts of fur behind your head as you felt your heart rate pick up rapid speed. Your hooves held onto his back as he continued to tease you with each feverish kiss, with each touch over your curves and muscle. And as he peppered kisses up your jawline and near your ear, a growl full of R’s rolled into your eardrum.

You instantly had to close your legs as your very core was rocked and you no longer felt cold as heat traced itself throughout your body. He had never growled to you before, especially rolling his R’s like that. This man always had something under his sleeve, but at this moment, you couldn’t think straight, as if every peck of his mouth and the hands that advanced over you made you braindead. The keenness in his movements as his snout started to make its way down your neck created a moan out of your mouth, your voice raspy and needy.

Another hust growl went against your throat and you shivered, and your heart bounced in your ribcage when you realized that it wasn’t from the cold, and that this male was going to heat you up like a oven. His hands were slowly riding up your shirt, his nails tenderly digging into your fur and his thumb doing slow and taunting circles under your chest.

He was teasing you and you squirmed under his hold, but a feather-like moan popped out of your mouth as his teeth grazed your throat and shoulder.

“Danny,” you breathed out and you felt the mammal over you tense up and he stopped, a savage-like look in his eyes as he took in the shameless sight of you. The redness was peaking out of your fur and your chest heaved with pressure and he took a large notice with how your legs were crossed.

“Say it, doll.”

You knew what he wanted you to say, you knew exactly what he wanted you to do.

“Please.”

He was on you like a cat on a mouse, his large build practically swallowing you whole as he took full control. The rat was a sucker for you, almost like a kid in a candy store, wanting to have every single bite. He effortlessly started to mark you as his, the small little squeals that started to rise into the house made his blood pump and you were pushing up against him now, chestnut fur flushed against oak fur as you both tried to get closer to each other. His hands were fully under your shirt now and your neck was covered in small little black spots, all perfectly lined up as the rim of his mouth went for the hollow of your throat and your spine bending to give him full access to your body.

You honestly didn’t care if Leonard and Nova came back early, the heat that rushed through you like water through a pipe was almost too much to bear and you felt himself bump up against you and a heartful gasp came out.

Oh gosh he was too much for you, the senses he spiked within your body was a remedy you never thought you needed.

His warm hands felt good against your chest and you groaned into his mouth, his own vocals sending a growl in return. You were sweating now as you escaped to get a breath of air and you could feel the hot pants from Danny as he left more love marks on you, much lower than your neck. You had to bite your lip to keep yourself quiet and your tail wiggled with ecstasy as his hands spread your legs apart so he could get closer, his large mitts now explored your back and your rump.

You both were burning under the blanket and the fire felt like nothing against your heated fur, you felt like you could be rubbing up against the sun for all you know.

Danny had you pressed against the headboard now, and every vibration from your thighs or your arms when he touched you made him want you more, he desired you more. The hunger and ache he had for you was beyond unbearable and having you to himself without work or anyone getting in the way was paradise.

The bruises under your skin ached but Danny’s hands were gentle over the purple areas and he was gentle with you and... The emotion that roared in your heart was stabbing you, pinching at your lungs as you continued to kiss Danny, his tongue sneaking its way into your mouth and you gladly accepted it. And between the kisses and the cries of pleasure that was spilling out both your mouths, you let out the holy words that he had wanted to hear from you since the day you started dating.

“I love you, Dan.”

The male rat stopped in his tracks and looked down at you, surprise spinning in his eyes as he looked down at you and you swore you saw his eyes flash with heartache. You were so out his league, he would always believe that you were better off without him. You wouldn’t have to worry about your job, you wouldn’t have to stress over the idea of being caught with him, but you stayed with him, you cared for him, and now you loved him.

His hand caressed your cheek and you were practically putty in his hands as he said against your mouth.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

And he told you that over and over as he undressed you once again.

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

The next morning was hard to wake up too. You woke up the burning glint of the sun over the snow and you went to roll over but you were held as if prisoner. Strong arms were around you and soft snoring was brushed up against your back. Flashes of last night danced through your head and the heat between your legs started to flicker again. You unraveled yourself from his hold and placed his forgotten long-sleeve shirt over yourself and your sweatpants and headed downstairs.

It was quiet in the lodge and there was no sign of Leonard on the couch, you walked over to Nova’s door and the shocked gasp couldn’t stop itself as you saw the ogre curled up with the feline, her body rolled up in a ball next to his sleeping figure.

You could only imagine the awkwardness once one of them woke up and you tiptoed back to the kitchen to find a wine-colored drink on the counter with a note.

“Dear Shiki, drink this once you wake up, but by how the cabin was shaking and how you were hollering like you were dying, I’m guessing you might not need this ;). Love, Nova”

Humiliation rolled in your stomach as you took a few sips of the drink, your fist pounding against your chest once you realized that it was an alcoholic beverage. You would give anything to just have a cup of coffee.

You headed back upstairs and for a split second, you remembered why you were truly here. Shia had gotten away, and even though it was a successful heist, it was a failure of a bounty hunt. You felt shame hit you as you failed your mission to get the polar bear. But once you made it up the stairs and saw Danny laying in the spot you had been sleeping in and his hand hanging off the side of the bed as if going after you, waiting for you.

It might’ve been a failure of a job, but you won something today, you won him.

And as you opened up the blankets and let his arms once again entrap you, you felt like the only thing you failed at was not telling him sooner.

#rottmnt #rottmnt mud dogs x reader #rottmnt mud dogz #rottmnt mud dogs #rottmnt dastardly danny #rottmnt dastardly danny x reader #rottmnt danny x reader #rottmnt loathsome leonard #tmnt #rottmnt reader x mud dogz

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dissonants-13 · 6 years ago

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It Lives in the Shadows

Notes: Y’all didn’t think I was going to miss ILITW appreciation week did you?? Part 1/3.

Summary: The gang has been mysteriously disappearing one by one, until a strange carnival pops up where none was before, and always in the very towns where Dan has been tracking his friends to. Nothing is what - or who - it seems and Dan must unravel the mystery before his friends are lost forever. [A phantasmagorical american gods/night circus type AU].

Tags: @choicesaholic @nuttatulipa @teamtomsato

01. Ava – Marquette, Michigan

Daniel Pierce lowers his half-spent cigarette, and contemplatively exhales smoke into the cold – no, frigid – air, and burrows his other hand deeper into the pocket of his coat. Within the soft cradle, his fingertips brush against the cool, hard edge of a gun muzzle. He is leaning casually against the ring-toss booth, one foot cocked up against the wall – the right foot at the present, though he shifts his weight every few minutes. The eyes of giggling teenage girls frequently slide over him and range from boldly appreciative to blushing and overcome. There’s no doubt he cuts a striking figure; tall, well over 6-foot-3 in the old language, and with a deeply aesthetically pleasing face and eyes that are a kind of butterscotch hazel-brown. Every now and then, he smiles at a girl, just for the sheer entertainment of seeing her and her friends quite literally ‘all in a tizz’.

But for the most part, he watches. He watches the young woman – Selina Moon, she thinks her name is – as she periodically emerges from the heavily brocaded carmine-coloured tent to ply her craft. Spangled constellations in shades of gold, silver, bronze and everything in between, depending on the way the cold winter light catches them, shimmer across every inch of the lush material. The woman shimmers too; she is just as heavily adorned with jewellery of all metals. She clinks and jingles merrily as she beckons to carnival goers, and Dan’s eye is most drawn to the hammered gold coin on a chain around her neck. He can’t see the embellishment on it, but it’s almost as if the coin gives off its own heat, its own life-force.

“Fortunes told, ailments cured. Bottled luck and brewed love. Let me tell you what you need!” The woman opens her arms in a loving, inviting way to the people passing her. It’s a gesture Dan has never seen her make before – another change to go with her new name, clearly.

A young couple, clearly full to the brim with the hopeful pseudo-love of youth, stop and exchange some words with the woman Selina, before following her into the tent, and so Dan lights another cigarette to warm him as he waits. It’s maybe about 20 minutes before the couple re-emerge, and the woman Selina smiles and waves them off, all her many bracelets tinkling softly, magically.

Dan tosses his cigarette into the half-frozen dirt beneath his feet and stubs it out with the toe of his boot. Snow has begun to fall softly, and he goes to the woman Selina before any other customer can steal her. Her plum-coloured lips curve into a smile that, while enchanting, is not familiar in any way. She doesn’t recognise him.

“Read me?” he asks, in his deep, husky voice. It’s a voice that people – mistakenly or not – instantly trust and feel at ease with.

“Come right in,” she gestures, holding back one side of the tent opening.

Inside is warm, and the air smells like spices, and it even feels a little like the inside of a simmering pot, what with the reddish-gold light emanating from several lamps around the interior. A claw-footed table sits in pride-of-place in the centre, overlaid with a gossamer silver tablecloth that looks (and feels) like spun spider webs. Two plush upholstered armchairs sit on either side of the table; one a deep, forest green and the other a midnight blue velvet.

Dan sinks into the blue chair, crossing his long legs and looking at the milky crystal ball on the table critically. Fog swirls within the glass, and every now and then, Dan can swear he sees familiar red eyes.

The woman Selina sits opposite him, in the green chair, and for a moment she clinks melodiously as she arranges her silky black skirts. Everything about her is so desperately familiar – the gothic sense of style, the black and pink dreadlocks, and the dramatic winged eyeliner – everything except the overly-warm smile.

“Tell me where the others are,” Dan says by way of opening. The woman Selina cocks her head curiously. She gestures for Dan to reach out and he complies, allowing her to guide his hands onto the crystal ball. She leaves her hands covering his, and closes her eyes. Dan remains unblinking, watching her.

“You’re searching for someone,” she begins eventually, slowly. Obviously, Dan thinks, with some derision. The fog within the crystal ball swirls more aggressively. The lamps flicker. Dan knows the tricks; a secret machine beneath the table for the crystal ball, a wiring fault for the lamps. It’s the sudden chill that he doesn’t like, and the smell of rotting undergrowth – the exact smell of the woods in Westchester. A high pitched whistle blows through the tent, accompanying a blast of icy wind and some snowflakes.

The woman Selina opens her eyes. They are milky white.

02. Andy – Freemont, Ohio

The carnival appears in Freemont in the dead of night, but Dan manages to be there the very next evening, rolling into town on his huge black motorcycle. He has his ways – spies and informers who whisper to him about the things he needs to know. There is no fanfare preceding the arrival, but somehow most of the town seems to be turning out to the opening night. Dan joins the undulating crowd and melts into the lively carnival throng, his ears ringing with the sounds of rides and shouting children and carnival music.

He cannot forget the witch’s words, which he turns over and over in his head. ‘None can be retrieved until all are united.’ So he wasn’t going to be able to save his friends until they all turned up in this freaky carnival, not knowing who they were? Ava had been the first to go missing, and now was the first to return. He had tried to tell her who she was, but she had just laughed him off, telling him that she was Selina Moon and that she had always been a carnival witch. It was obvious then, that something larger than what Dan had originally thought was afoot.

He lights a cigarette and he walks, stalking the rows of booths and rides, his shoulders set against the cold and he searches, his eyes constantly looking for the next one. Who would it be? He didn’t dare hope it would be her.

The woman Selina is standing in front of her tent when Dan passes it, and she waves to him, her dozens of bangles chinking merrily about her wrists.

“Would you like another reading, Daniel?” she calls to him. Gold sparks shower from her fingertips as she blows him a kiss, and a group of passing children stop to gasp and cheer for her. Dan shakes his head as he continues past her, smiling a little, wryly. A moment later he stops, and backs up a little. His boots crunch in the fresh snow.

“Any new acts tonight, Selina?”

She starts to shake her head no, but then stops. “Actually, there’s a new acrobat in the main tent. Ambrosia King.” She turns frivolously on the spot. Her skirts are purple silk tonight; they whisper across the snow like a half-dozen ladies telling secrets. “Are you sure I can’t help you?”

“Not tonight, Miss Moon.”

Dan finds the main tent, and he enters with the crowd, finding his way to an empty patch of bench on the innermost ring to the central circle. Somehow, the interior roof of the tent looks like a galaxy expanding slowly; Dan feels infinitesimal in that moment. What power is he up against?

There are no nets, he realises, as the performance begins. Waif girls in shimmering, fringed dresses tumble through the air on golden rings and silk ribbons. Leanly muscled young men flip their bodies across the floor, before climbing ladders and throwing themselves above the crowd with precarious grips on their trapezes. One boy throws firesticks, his limbs moving with a blinding, eldritch kind of speed. Even Dan feels lost in the wonderment of the show, his heartbeat rising with every gasp from the crowd around him.

And then Dan sees him; the acrobat in a glittering midnight blue body suit, who descends from the ceiling among the silk ropes like an unfolding butterfly. He swings his way across to the trapeze with nothing but the strength of his upper body, and the audience gasps wildly as he releases one trapeze, his lithe body rotating in a kaleidoscope of sparkles, before he grabs the next trapeze safely and his captive spectators cheer raucously.

Dan would recognise the silken black hair, the intelligently sparking dark eyes, and the confident swagger anywhere. Ambrosia King salutes his adoring crowd, and his eyes fall on Dan amongst the crowd. On his middle finger of his right hand, gleams a golden ring with a hammered coin face, that seems to have a warmth of its own.

Hello, Andy, Dan thinks. Two found, four to come.

Dan hears the whispers, and feels the same chill that he did in the woman Selina’s tent of fortunes. The smell of rotting undergrowth fills his senses once again, and he sees a flickering black form rise behind Ambrosia King, its eyes glowing red. When he blinks, the shade is gone, but he hears her voice calling him, and Dan can’t shake the distinct feeling that he’s running short on time.

#it lives in the woods #ilitw #dan pierce #ava cunningham #andy kang #ILITW appreciation week #choices ilitw #choices fanfiction #choices fanfic

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daninator-and-rickyblitz · 8 years ago

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SING | Part 1

Genre: Romance

Words: 3249

Warnings: Lots of theater/vocal performance jargon

Summary: Dan is the lead in his school’s show choir, the Hearts of Berkshire, where he writes all the music and practically runs the entire group. Their biggest competition is the Rawtenstall Grammar Counterpoints, led and instructed by a very hot Mister Phil Lester. After the Counterpoints crush the Hearts at the national competition, Dan harbors a grudge to get back at them next season. Then Dan’s forced to leave Berkshire and transfer to Rawtenstall, and all bets are off when Mr. Lester asks Dan to sing for him.

Part 1: Harmony and Counterpoint

If you ask anyone, they’ll tell you there have never been more teenagers in the West End than the night of the National Show Choir Competition. Every show choir and glee club in the United Kingdom traveled to London for a chance to compete for the trophy, and while everyone gets a consolation prize and a great weekend in the city, it’s not a weekend to take for granted. At least, not for the competitors.

Approximately fifteen minutes before their scheduled performance time, the Hearts of Berkshire captain and lead Dan Howell walked through the back halls of the theater to deliver his set list to a judge runner. This deadline was the same for every competition, just in case disaster ever struck, but this ritual was getting very old very quickly. You’d think it would already be old after three years of it, but Dan was eternally stubborn. Besides, it was better than having the judges guess what you’re singing. Dan scoffed at the thought. This probably benefited the choirs who had no shot at the title, which of course didn’t include his.

The Hearts were an institution, an all-male a capella group with six national titles to their name, and Dan’s been there to lead them to two of them. He was there for a third as well, but that was before he took over. He’s only continued the tradition, and all the boys in the group respected him for it. That, and his killer pipes and arranging skills. They always win first place in the choir competition, which is the most important, but in past years other titles like Best Arrangement and Best Soloist have alluded them.

With this year’s setlist, Dan hoped to change that.

The runners’ room was a small dressing room filled with production assistants for the judges, who were out in the audience at that moment listening to a bottom twelve choir from Kent. Dan wasn’t concerned about them. There was really only one to be worried about…

One of the runners approached Dan right away when he entered the room. “The Hearts?” she guessed.

Dan grinned. “That would be us.” He handed her his stationary, which had their three songs printed on it in red ink.

She added it to her clipboard and gave Dan a smile of her own. “I’m rooting for you guys. You’re always so good.”

“I know,” Dan replied. He gave her a nod and turned to be on his way back to the green room to continue rehearsing, but he almost smacked right into another body in the doorway. That body was much taller than Dan was, and smelled amazing. Like expensive cologne.

“Whoops, my bad,” it was a man, and he gave Dan an easy smile. His eyes sunk down and seemed to zero in on the heart pinned to Dan’s lapel, marking him quite obviously from Berkshire. “You’re a Heart,” he pointed out, looking back up.

After being struck for a second at how blue this man’s eyes were, Dan nodded. “I’m the Heart,” he replied. Being the one who did most of the work, he reserved the right to say that.

“Ah,” the blue-eyed man’s smile grew a little wicked, “Daniel. You’re very talented.”

“Dan,” he corrected straight away, “And I know. That’s why I’m in the position that I am.”

“Right. I’m Phil Lester,” he said and held his hand out. Dan shook it, and at the same time, he wondered where he had heard that name before. Once they let go, Phil gestured ahead of him. “I should go turn in the setlist. Pretty important.”

Once again Dan nodded. “Right, of course. See you,” he said and stepped aside to let Phil inside the room. He was only a few steps into the corridor when he heard the voices filter from inside the runners’ room. It was the same woman who took Dan’s setlist.

“Mr. Lester! I’ll take that.”

“Thank you, Karen. I have high hopes for this season. We’ve gone in a bit of a different direction.”

A pause. “I see. I don’t recognize any of your song titles.”

“That’s because I wrote them.”

Dan froze. He knew he recognized that name from somewhere…

“Really? Maybe it’ll be gold this year for the Counterpoints.”

“Let’s hope so. Good seeing you, Karen.”

Of course. The steepest competition of the night, the only other a cappella group in the competition, the current holders of the Best Arrangement title; the Rawtenstall Grammar Counterpoints. They were co-ed where the Hearts were only boys, and they had an actual advisor with a music degree to lead them. Dan heard through the grapevine that was show choir based Tumblr blogs that the Counterpoints coach was a babe and a half. And damn were they right.

The Counterpoints have been second place to the Hearts for years.

As Dan was still frozen in the corridor, Phil Lester walked right past him out of the runners’ room. “Break a leg out there.” The smirk was practically audible.

In a huff, he stomped back to the Hearts’ green room, because damn if the Counterpoints were going to beat them with originals. No. Not his group.

As soon as he entered, the others could basically feel that something was off. Some of the boys near the door looked concerned. They all matched; Berkshire Academy of the Sacred Heart had uniforms, like most schools, and the group always performed in them as a sign of pride and consistency.

“What happened?” asked another of the senior members, Thad.

Dan swallowed. “I met the Counterpoints’ coach.”

The energy in the room changed from apprehensive to interested, and a couple rose to their feet to get closer, hungry for gossip.

“Well?”

“What was he like?”

Dan held up his hands for quiet. “What they say is true, he is very, very attractive,” he told them, “But all that is beside the point. Their setlist is comprised of only originals. The coach wrote them, his name is Phil Lester, and he sounded sure that they were going to win.”

“They’ll have to beat us first,” stated Steve, a younger member whose uniform was a bit too big for him.

Still, Dan nodded in reply. “Exactly. And we are champions, aren’t we?” There were nods and words of agreement. “We know a capella. We’re the tradition of a capella. We’re classically trained, we’re all males, and we’re student run. We deserve to win, and we’re going to run those northerners into the bloody ground!”

“Yeah!” The group fist-pumped into the air together.

Dan grinned. “Our performance will be in less than ten minutes. Let’s do some practicing, and we’ll be sure to show them who really owns that stage,” he stated. With Dan at the head, the Hearts of Berkshire gathered around the piano, and they rehearsed their setlist for one last time.

Later, the lights were dim, and the Hearts were waiting in the wings to be announced. Dan bounced on his toes but held in all other impulses to fidget. His uniform needed to look immaculate for the performance or the looking good factor would not be on their side. Also, he was not happy with their performance time. They were the current title holders, they should be performing last, but apparently, the times were assigned randomly and there would be three groups going after them. One of them was the Counterpoints. He hoped that this wouldn’t hurt their chances of retaining their place.

Dan was soon handed a microphone, as the soloist, and told it was time to go on. Right beforehand, he turned to the rest of the group. “This is it, guys. If any of you mess up, we lose. We need to be perfect to win and beat those goddamn Counterpoints. So let’s go,” he implored them seriously. They all nodded in reply, and then Dan led them onto the stage.

“And now welcome to the stage, the reigning champions of the Masters of Show Choir national competition, the Hearts of Berkshire!”

When the lights came up, Dan raised his head and the microphone to his mouth, and four counts later their opener started. It wasn’t his favorite song of their setlist, but it was the most difficult, just for the sake of getting the crowd’s (and the judges’) attention. That and the second song went off without a hitch and with much applause, which gave Dan even more confidence in their winning and their choice to do a ballad as their finale instead of in the middle. It was a bit of a change from traditional performances, but if they didn’t change with the times then they weren’t going to get anywhere.

The ballad put Dan in the light on the apron, while the Hearts formed two small arcs behind him. He hoped to knock this one out of the park with just his voice alone, and at the same get that Best Soloist award.

“Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you, Look away, you rollin' river,

Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you,”

When the rest of the group came in, all the lights brightened to highlight the lines. This number was different than the rest of their set, as this was the only number where Dan soloed the entire time and there was no dancing. It was meant to be slow with a focus on the vocals instead of the entire spectacle. In Dan’s opinion, this was the way to draw a crowd’s focus. That, and a spiced-up American folk song.

“Look away, we're bound away Across the wide Missouri.”

Dan could see the Counterpoints in the left wing out of the corner of his eye. They were huddled together between two of the legs, watching intently, and Phil Lester was standing in the front with his arms crossed. They must be going next. Since Dan was focused on his song, he didn’t have time to think about it, but he could swear the coach was smiling. Like he was impressed or even encouraging his competition.

Pathetic. Dan would show them.

“Now the Missouri is a mighty river Look away, you rollin' river Indians camp along her border Look away, we're bound away Across the wide Missouri.”

When their performance was over, the applause signified that there was no way they wouldn’t win. Dan first bowed on his own, then led the Hearts as a group to the cheering. The Counterpoints haven’t even gone on yet, but still he was confident. The audience loved them, he was sure the judges did as well.

On their way off the stage, their competition was still standing in wait. Dan met the eyes of Phil Lester for just a moment, and the latter spoke up. “Great performance,” he said.

“Thanks, I know,” Dan replied shortly, then followed the Hearts on their way off the stage without saying anything else. Fraternizing with the enemy was not something that was in their best interest, especially when their coach was so cute and all their members were telling them how good they were.

It felt like they were hardly off the stage when the Counterpoints jogged on to take their places. The Hearts spun around, still backstage, and looked to where their competition was setting up on a dark stage. They looked to Dan, wondering if they should continue to the green room like usual or some other instruction. Dan nodded towards the door to the house, and they left the right wing and filed in to take seats in the audience towards the back.

“Please welcome to the stage the current runner-ups and holders of the Best Arrangement award, the Rawtenstall Grammar School Counterpoints!”

There was a smattering of applause and some cheering. Thad, who was sitting beside Dan, started to clap but Dan reached over and grabbed his wrist to quickly end it. No one was going to pretend they were watching this for entertainment; it was simply for judgmental purposes. And spite.

Before the lights came up, the clapping started. Not applause, it was a rhythm. Cla-clap-clap. Then when it did brighten, the entire group was clapping the very quick and snappy rhythm, and a boy was walking towards the front of the stage. He was smaller.

“Woke up whistling like the wind blows Looking out my window just to see the shine.”

And then, for a quick moment, all the males of the group sang a lick. Dan’s eyes went wide. It was only about three counts, but there were enough bass notes in there to make the Whiffenpoofs cry all the way from America.

“Baby, you might call it crazy, how I'm acting lately Skipping through the sky,”

The lick came again, and the lot of the group joined in the backup of the little soloist. He looked smaller than the others around him, and there were a lot of others. All grouped together it didn’t look like the Counterpoints had a whole lot more singers compared to the Hearts, but now it was obvious that they did. They spread out throughout the entire stage, and each one stood out in lovely crimson red get-up that was each just slightly different. They were definitely not dressed in school uniforms.

“I see so clearly why I'm always feeling free So I sleep when my dreams looking like reality Don't it feel like Na na na na na na na na na, na na na na na”

And then the na-nas continued, and were joined with the clapping and choreography that would crush choirs that aren’t a capella. Besides their countertenor soloist, there were two others at the front of the group who seemed to be leading the rest. Dan studied them, and couldn’t help but compare himself to Counterpoint leads. The smallest, the countertenor, had all the high notes of a girl with the masculine appeal of a baby face. To his right was a tall blonde; his pecs could barely be contained by his button up which suggested he went to the gym on a regular basis. And on the left was a girl with flowing brunette locks and dark skin, and just an outstanding look.

Dan scowled. These were all advantages to put the Counterpoints above the Hearts in presentation.

The bridge of the song made several of the Hearts drop their jaws. The bass notes returned, and this time they were in three-part harmony, which was amazing. Dan couldn’t believe they had enough talented basses to harmonize the part… the Hearts couldn’t do that. Not really. The arrangement of this song was genius. Soon after that thought, Dan remembered that Phil Lester had written the songs for the entire set. He hoped the judges took into account that Dan was a student, and he took care of all the arrangements, and there was no way he was as talented as a teacher. Before he watched the Counterpoints, he could only hope as much.

Dan didn’t really pay attention past the opening number. That taste was all he needed to make his judgements. They were much better than they were last year, and no doubt that was because they lost. And while their sheer vocal and dance talents lessened his confidence just a bit, Dan was sure that the performance was just a bit too much. The flashy clothes, the pop song, and the choreography combined was a lot for a show choir and perhaps it didn’t fit into their category.

Besides, there was no way that little countertenor could out-sing Dan.

Once all the groups had performed, everyone was sitting in their designated seats in the audience for the awards. Thankfully the Counterpoints were on the other side of the house. Dan could still see them. It was a little nauseating that they were all holding hands as they waited, even with their coach.

“We might not win,” Thad leaned over and whispered.

“We will. Our fiercest competition paraded around that stage like it was an EDM concert, I doubt they’ll take out a group like us,” Dan scowled at the stage as the lights came on over a table awards and the panel of judges, “Like I said. Integrity trumps showboating.”

The awards started, and fifth place went first. There was a list posted on the website every year with official scores and places, but the top five got to be honored in front of everyone. And between fourth place and third place the smaller titles were given.

Here, the Hearts clapped politely for each award. Fifth place went to a school from Somerset, fourth to Kent. Then, everyone started to pay attention for the smaller awards. Dan sat up a little straighter.

“This year’s Best Arrangement award, judged on originality, musicality, and demonstration of skill goes to…,” the judge paused as he tore open the envelope, “No surprise, the Rawtenstall Grammar Counterpoints! Arrangement by Phil Lester.”

Dan’s expression darkened, but he still clapped slowly while Phil jogged onto the stage to accept the plaque and shake hands with the judges. His group was clapping and cheering obnoxiously in the background. He waved to them with a giant smile on his face before walking off of the stage and back to his seat while the judges moved on.

“And this year’s Best Soloist award, based on technique and overall performance goes to…” the pause was agonizing while the host picked up the plaque to read the name, “Dan Howell from the Hearts of Berkshire!”

The Hearts burst into loud applause, and Dan’s stomach exploded into butterflies within him. Not of nervousness, more of surprise, but then he quickly buried that. As he walked from his seat to the stage, he wore a grin of pride. He deserves this award, he was obviously the best. Take that, tiny countertenor of the Counterpoints.

He climbed the stairs and took the award from the host, then shook each of the judges’ hands. He got a congratulations from each one, and then he went back and sat down. He was very happy with the award, but he wanted to get on with it. There were still three places to announce.

Third went to Cambridge. The Hearts all clapped very politely, as usual, but now the anxiety was fresh in their chests as they waited for the next pace. They had yet to be mentioned, but neither had the Counterpoints. Dan thought the tension air could have been cut by a knife. And when second place was announced, he could have cut anything with a knife.

“Second place and the runner up for the championship goes to… The Hearts of Berkshire!”

No.

The Counterpoints all but erupted across the house but were quickly hushed. Dan hissed at his group to try and look happy, and together they walked to the stage to accept their award. Dan once again took it from the host, shook all the judges’ hands, and led the Hearts to stand next to Cambridge on the stage. His heart sunk even more when they announced the champion.

Amidst the applause and the cheers, Rawtenstall accepted their award and looked thoroughly happy and victorious. Phil Lester held up the trophy for the whole team to see, which inspired an entirely new round of cheering and carrying on. Cambridge clapped politely, and some of them even looked genuinely happy for their place. Dan, however, was seething. Those northerners were in for a storm come next season.

Songs featured in this part:

Shenendoah– arrangement by Peter Hollens Na Na Na– Pentatonix

#phan #phanfiction #phan au #phanfic

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