#home hunters ph

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Species You Didn’t Know Weren’t Native to North America

There are some species found here in North America that are so common that many people just assume they’re part of the native menagerie. They’re naturalized, which means they’re non-native but have managed to establish reproducing populations here. Some may also be considered invasive, in that they aggressively compete with native species and may even displace them in some places.

I know some of you readers will already be familiar with the fact that the following species aren’t native here. But I bet there’ll be surprises for the rest of you! Let’s see who our not-actually-natives are.

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Hunters across the continent have long hunted pheasants for the table. First introduced in 1773–exactly 250 years ago–they have since made themselves at home in fields and meadows. While the largest populations can be found in the Midwest, especially the Great Plains states, they can be found throughout the United States, with additional scattered populations in southern Canada and Mexico.

While sometimes assumed to have integrated into their introduced habitats, pheasants actually wreak havoc on native game birds like quail and grouse. They compete for suitable food and nest sites, and may also practice nest parasitism, laying their eggs in other birds’ nests. This competition has led to decreases in native bird populations, as has the spreading of diseases that the pheasants tolerate, but which decimate other species. Pheasants will even attack and kill other birds.

So what other species made the list? Keep reading to find out!

Cross Orb Weaver (Araneus diadematus)

Fall is cross orb weaver time, and I run into these spiders constantly–sometimes literally, depending on how inconveniently their webs are placed! By that time of year, they’ve grown large enough to be noticeable, and their orange and brown coloration looks rather festive.

While I haven’t been able to find any indication that these spiders have a deleterious effect on their introduced ecosystems, they likely put at least some pressure on local invertebrate populations, whether as predators or competitors for prey species. This may become more pronounced as continued overuse of pesticides and habitat loss contribute to the invertebrate apocalypse.

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

“Save the bees!” has been an increasingly common headline since Colony Collapse Disorder first became widely known among the general public almost twenty years ago. What the articles rarely mention is that the honey bee is actually a domesticated insect that originated from wild stock in Europe. In fact, the true wild honey bee may be close to extinction, another victim of its domesticated descendants.

In fact, honey bees cause the decline of wild bee species wherever they are introduced. Not only do they compete with wild bees for food and nest sites, but they also spread diseases and parasites to these other species, some of which have become quite scarce. Moreover, honey bees are less effective at pollinating native plants outside their own range, and these species are at risk of extinction if their native pollinators are out-competed.

Another invertebrate beloved of gardeners here, the earthworms actually consist of a mix of both native and non-native species. Unfortunately, many native earthworms went extinct during the last Ice Age, so if your area has a recent glacial history it’s likely that the worms in your garden are invasive. (That does include the red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) commonly used for vermicomposting.)

What damage can a bunch of worms do? Plenty, as it turns out. They speed up decay and mix up nutrients in the soil in ways that many North American ecosystems aren’t used to. This changes physical characteristics of the soil like pH, texture, and density, as well as distribution of nutrients. Some young plants may not be able to reach nutrients that worms have moved deeper underground. So while you may thank earthworms for aerating the soil in your garden, they’re more of a problem for a lot of native ecosystems here.

umbleweed (various species)

“Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds,” sang the Sons of the Pioneers in 1934, though tumbleweeds have been associated with the American West for much longer. Several species of plant dry out, snap off the root system, and roll along the ground spreading the mature seeds. The best-known species is the Eurasian Kali tragus, though there are other species that have been introduced here.

Because these plants take up a lot of physical space, they can crowd out native plants, especially those that are not shade-tolerant. Their seed distribution method means that one plant can spread its descendants many miles from where it originated. Moreover, the masses of dead, dry tumbleweeds can build up and become wildfire fuel.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) and White Clover (Trifolium repens)

These two plants are so ubiquitous that it’s easy to assume they’ve always been here. White clover is especially common in lawns, and red clover will pop up in just about any disturbed sunny spot. Both are native to Europe and Asia, and red clover additionally may be found in North Africa. However, both species have been widely introduced elsewhere.

While neither is considered particularly invasive, they can take over large areas of disturbed land. They are deliberately sown for cover crops and livestock forage, so they’re not likely to go away any time soon.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

This is one of the most popular spring plants for foragers; chemicals that cause irritation can be removed through soaking the plants in water or cooking them. Although stinging nettle grows well in large areas of the United States, Mexico, and southern and western Canada, it is actually native to northern Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Stinging nettle makes itself at home in forested settings in particular. While it doesn’t create the same sorts of monocultures that, say, Himalayan blackberry does, it can shade out smaller plants with its broad leaves.

Saffron Milkcap (Lactarius deliciosus)

People don’t often think of fungi when it comes to non-native and invasive species, and yet there are fungi that have been moved around to new areas, often with their partner plants. Some are tiny soil fungi, but there are those that produce visible fruiting bodies. The edible saffron milkcap is one of these. It is mycorrhizal with pine trees in its native Europe, and managed to form connections with pines in North America as well.

As saffron milkcap does not cause any known diseases of plants, it is not considered an invasive species in the way that chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) is. While the mycelium of saffron milkcap may certainly compete for some of the same soil nutrients as native species in the same area, it has not become aggressive enough to displace native fungi.

Death Cap (Amanita phalloides)

There are large, white Amanita species native to North America, like A. ocreata and A. bisporigera, both known colloquially as “destroying angels.” The death cap, however, is native to Europe. It has been spreading through parts of the United States, particularly along all the coastlines, and may sometimes be yellow-tinted. Its close cousin, the European destroying angel (A. virosa), has made a few appearances in New England and southern Quebec according to iNaturalist’s map of research-grade observations.

While these invasive Amanitas do not cause widespread ecological damage, they are considered invasive due to their extreme lethality. One cap is sufficient to kill a healthy adult human being.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

[kinglazrus]

Wip Game

Tagged by @dekalko-mania and @bibliophilea! Check out Dekal's answers here, and Bib's answers here.

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

So... I have a lot of wips for a lot of fandoms. To make things easier, I'm only putting the DP ones, otherwise this list would have like 100 fics, maybe more. Also not doing wips that I've posted chapters for.

First date redo

Behind enemy lines

The Hunter

Multitudes

Laundry Day

Alike in Immortality original

Treat

Trick

GUTS

LAIR

Empty Grave

Love Yourself

Ph is for Failure

Lost in Time

Mind of Our Own

Afternoon Snack

Body

Death of my Enemy

Field Trip Gone Wrong

Ghost ptsd

Kingly Woes

No Place Like Home

Paulina v Dash

The Other Side

Therapy for the Recently Deceased

Came Back Wrong (Again)

GIW Perspective

Human Again

Tarot & Stalker

The Games We Play

The Hunted

Time Loop

Crush My Lungs

What They Made You

Ice in His Veins

Sand for His Heart

why the fuck am i starting a new story

Written Destiny

Sandman

Dan's Return

Dani afraid of danny

Everyone knows

Fog-splatter

Ghost Child

Green-Eye Boy

Hanahaki's disease

In Time

Interrogation

It Never Happened

Just a Little Different

Keeping Curfew

Kwan

Light Sensitivity

Maddie.exe

Outsider pov

Portal Danny

Quarantine

residual powers

Sam

Shiptember 9.30

Sidney Poindexter

Stuck

(redacted)

The Funeral

Unbecoming

Unfinished Business

week fic

Welcome to the Neighbourhood

I will not be tagging as many people as wips because that's just way too many, but if anyone sees this and wants to do it, feel free! I love seeing these.

@q-gorgeous @nickelodeonstudios @ghostgothgeek @lexosaurus @wastefulreverie @underforeversgrace

[silverloreley]

How would Bruno Madrigal and Cecil de Vil get along?

Well enough, I suppose. It's all about the circumstances of their first meeting, really.

Here's how I see it: Cecil de Vil, who had spent almost a whole year doing video campaigns and fomenting protests to get his niblings out of the Isle of the Lost, trying to raise awareness about the inequality of the crimes people were sent to the Isle for and so on (his sister is in there for stealing dogs! it's not the same as killing multiple people or cursing lands! and Hunter and Ivy were kids who did stupid stuff!), is caught at last and shipped, making it evident his smear campaign against the banishment was pretty much right but ending up as a victim of the system himself. (he never figured out who to blame. people are quick to point fingers at the Beast, but there's something that doesn't work in it, a cog stuck somewhere, someone else behind it all...)

So, he's on a barge and there he meets one of the people he was trying to advocate for (sure, the protest started for his family, but it ended up involving a lot more people), aka Bruno, the man who could see bad futures and Auradon deemed too dangerous to stay free. Bruno, who is shaking and is sad to have left his family behind and hopes they'll be fine, much like Cecil, but with the important difference that the Madrigals were left alone save for him, while Cecil was going to be reunited with his family on the Isle.

The people in the last barges compare notes, share facts, see patterns, perhaps they figure out something (the Security Services are a tad too independent, started to pick people on their own, the royals are too worried about the post-war economy to chase minor criminals like that...), but it's pretty useless because they have no one to share them with except for each other and no one can help them at this point. Hell, Cinderella, a queen, was unable to save her stepsister who she had openly forgiven, once in the Barrier, there's no way out! There was no chance to begin with.

So, Cecil takes pity on Bruno, because Cecil knows he'll have the support of his family once there, as will most of the people of the last barges (Anastasia's husband, the Delgados from Avalor, and so on) while Bruno will be all alone. And Bruno kind of latches to that small kindness. Bruno knows how to make himself useful, it's how he was raised, so that's what he'll do on the Isle, work with those people like them, the ones who weren't criminals and knew how to live a non-magic, ordinary life.

Once Cecil gets on the Isle, the de Vils already have their own properties (Hell Hall, PH's lab, plus some stuff they put their hands on like a couple normal homes and, most importantly, the electric plant, entirely garbage-powered, that PH put together/fixed and the de Vil family controls) and it's easy for a community to form around him, the only one with assured stability, a community of the ones who are not Villains with a capital V. Bruno is a part of it for sure, he has tons of practical, everyday knowledge to share, not like Cecil, who grew up rich and knows a lot less but knows how to listen and recognizes talent and usefulness.

So Cecil and Bruno are not, like, best friends, some people could think of Bruno as one of Cecil's minions, judging from the outside (Cecil doesn't have minions, but Villains thinks in those terms), but for sure they are part of a community and had to rely on each other multiple times, which made them a bit close, close enough that Cecil knows he can ask Bruno to accompany him to do delicate or important jobs and Bruno knows he can reach for Cecil if he's in a pinch, like if people didn't pay him or if he didn't gain enough, Cecil will help.

Once Cruella shows interest in Bruno, Cecil is enthusiastic. He knows Ella remarried a few times but, hey, maybe that's the real thing this time? And he likes the idea of Bruno being his brother-in-law and greets him with open arms and Bruno is happy about it, Cecil is a friend to him, in his view, he was from the beginning, so he leans into the situation and they get closer.

It lasts until Cruella decides to kick Bruno out (and he sneaks back in, in his own way), but even after, they sort of keep in contact and keep helping each other a bit. It's rare to have strong allies on the Isle, but the community around Cecil is solid, he knows the value of connections, and Bruno will always be a part of it.

Oh, dear, that got long. As usual, LOL

[stellarhistoria]

SCATTERED ACROSS THE SANDS: GROUP AU FOR THE CYTOS FAM.

♡.   trigun.au ( cytosfamily )     ⁄ ⁄   scattered across the sands .

you're bewitched by the devil's lullaby. Perhaps the least aware of how things work in a desert environment, having grown up around a cold and forested environment for a long time only then moving to a proper cityscape when he was already an adult, Zack would be the one to offer water repeatedly and then be confused as to why he's getting in trouble with the higher ups. sir/ma'am i'm just giving someone water. is there an issue? what do you mean i shouldn't have that much, it's my water- Jests aside, once he realizes how things work, he would easily climb ranks in the society, but do so in the way of leveling the playing field, even if it meant drawing trouble to himself. When his youngest baby sister sends him a magical Sending message, he pulls back immediately and returns to engineering something to help her husband, Axcel, be put at ease - or come pick at least her up off this terrible planet.

there's so much hatred in such a vibrant world. it makes me sad. Alcaeus Mallas, known only as Kae (or to some who only see him in ghosting trails of his coat, The Spirit of Ju-Lai), wanders the "empty" city of Ju-Lai, as he learns after weeks its name, acting as a lone caretaker for the silence that carries so much weight. He cares little for what people claim, cares little for who might tread there, only if they treat the silence with such respect as he does. He is not his second to youngest sibling, no cleric or official priest. He's just some mad alchemist with a penchant for challenging fate. As days turn into weeks, Kae begins to experiment with what the sand and dirt and ground may indeed offer in terms of pH levels and the acidity of the world beneath his feet, in an attempt to try to get some life into an otherwise graveyard silent city. He only knows his siblings are still alive because of the feeling of certainty that he has that they will see each other again.

you'd look better in black and white; all that blood would look like tar. Off into the west of the scattered sands, is a big city that thrives on how no one causes a fuss, far from the reach of Vash the Stampede... but apparently there's no need for Vash the Stampede when there's supposedly a demon on the loose. They don't bother asking a name when every time the cityfolk see the demon, lightning crashes nearby and a storm begins as the chase does at the same time. The chase doesn't last nearly as long as the storm, but they have yet to figure out that the storm is a result of their fear and hate towards the frightened person they call a demon. No one gets a good look at "it" - but when they do, there have been accounts of eyes like light through a prism, sunlight and night-touched features reflecting in the crash of lightning... and one person has sworn they've seen pointed ears. Why wouldn't "it" be a demon? That's not human.

sour, sugar and spice, everything bitter and choking on ice. Luka ended up mostly unharmed, but "showed up" (aka crash landed) outside of one of the smaller cities, where people thought he was some sort of bounty hunter thrown from the saddle. He eventually convinced the township/city he ended up in to trust him, despite his cold demeanor, and at some point, he managed to figure out how to put taste into his more bland food based spells. So his stand in clinic is always well stocked. Some days, he hears of some things happening off in the west, how there is a demon of claws and lightning wreaking havoc through the sands, turning them into molten glass pits of agony, and has to sigh. People here really don't like seeing anyone different from them, do they? He worries about Aryin.

everything you can do, i do twelve steps ahead of you. This woman would be the most well adjusted to the desert sands, as her main station back home was the arid and humid lands and worlds, such as Agrabah and the coastal regions of upper Atlantica. Being who she was as a spy and a chaotic gremlin of a rogue, she would be the sort to make sure she and her elder son of seven years old are safe first before getting a hold of her eldest brother, Zack, to help build something to contact her husband - there is no doubt in her mind that he has already gone berserk, believing that the Lancealot armies have kidnapped her again - and worse yet, kidnapped her AND Justin. When she gets the time between speaking with Zack in fits of magic that never truly cooperates, she studies the people around her, and refuses to teach her son how to wield anything more than a dagger or one of her old swords, a real one, not a Keyblade. She refuses to give a GUN to a SEVEN YEAR OLD. (even if she was taught precision aiming at eight.)

[jude-thedude98]

Mr. O'Rion Rippington's Riptide

Don't wanna uncap the pen

The pen be mightier than the words

Sword so fiercely, magically clean it hurts to say the whole name

Rip-tides of water flowin' over my head right

Through the cable car the fray this sword wields still kills

Monsters who tried to befriend and eat me

Swoosh

Another one dead, ph well

This celestial bronze is a percy jackson mom's blue coated anything

A piece of home I keep close, so don't touch my pocketeses or you'll be experiencing

The wrath of God's

Greek chariots barreling down in mustang Sally's

Apollo's 13 year old self still looks older than Artemis and her hunters by their self

Try to set war on me?

I'm tighter than titans teens pulled from Ares magazines

New York times showing things that I thought you heard from the grapevine

Dionysus

Wine God sippin on diet coke

Or calypso

Teachin communication and healing like Hermes ju jitsu

No need to chase the wisdom

Annabeth and Athena already got the blueprints schematics planned out and defeated

Touching blue notes

Come see me in the underground

Labyrinth

Math width

Protractor protractin'

Absent

Down in the forges Hey Festus!

Happy the dragon by Leo Valdez of Hephaestus

Chest to chest with Aphrodite

Love my valentining

We all, like Piper McLean and Selena Beauregard pineing

Love striking

They say it don't twice

Zeus lightning

Can't fight me

I'm part of the big three

Holy trinity

This my house of hades

And my Mount Olympus

Gay Pride like Nico brown Hazel but I'm still deep though

A lil king of the underworld a lil king of the mainstream

Poseidon with the triton

Seafoam rise up

Pegasi fly up!

Call Blackjack when you need a favor

And he'll pull up

Wait while I tend the fire

Hestia

Didn't your mother ever tell you not to get next to ya

Flame

Retardants

Come bombarding my city

I'll hit you with the grace of Jason and Thalia

And in case you thank that's not enough

Following ya

Will be two satyrs: one Glees9n, one Grover

A cyclops named Tyson who can AND will roll you over

A wooden plank to short to fuse from my man Zhang Frank

And frankly that should be enough

But my Mrs. O'Leary is teary eyed if I don't take her on the ride

So come try to take a bite out of this crime

Hellhound! Sick em!

Raisin' wild flowers like Demeter

This my pen's call of the wild, Pan

So don't sleep on me hypnosis

Or I promise I'll unleash The Mother Wrath of Hera

I'm half Mr. Alias Nightmare / M.A.N.

And half demisexual demigod

Hm, how kind of odd?

Call me Jude PoetAll

Lupe

Phillip, Fenix, Felix, or Felipe

A novelist I am, ots obvious

So I guess I'm Jarel with the dot

All alter egos on spot

That's why all I ever need is my Kid Ink

And I promise this imagination station will NEVER stop

So here I go

Until the next time I need to swing MY Riptide

Ima sign it with

The Last Olympian

@story.

[bryscavessss]

BEST RESORT IN JIM CORBETT

If you are planning a weekend vacation to take a break from your busy schedule, Jim Corbett is one of the best places to visit in Uttarakhand with your family for a picnic. This renowned public park is at Ramnagar town in Uttarakhand’s Nainital Area. With the reference of the name of Jim Corbett, the one picture that comes immediately to our brain is of Royal Bengal tigers, which are topmost attractions among other creature and bird species.

Jim corbett is not confined to Royal  wildlife but also includes the striking features like waterfall, springs, scenery, waterfall and other attractions too. It is home to various species of  flora and fauna .

Top 10 Surreal Experience In Jim Corbett National Park

Corbett Museum

If you  are keen seeker of paintings & colors, then you have to pay visit to Corbett Museum, known to be the home of man-eater hunter turned conservationist  in Jim Corbett. It is located in Kaladhungi, in Uttarakhand, this museum is actually a heritage place, where one can explore his personal belongings, including articles penned by him. 

Wildlife Art Gallery

Wildlife Art Gallery is exciting space for art & nature admirer . You got chance to have look on the beautiful pictures taken by renowned wildlife photographer  

 Mrs. Deep Rajwar. It is worth visiting with your art-lover partners. You can shop for mementos as a token of visit.

Kyari Camp

You may experience a typical rural life without power at this unique camping spot. But kerosene and solar lights are available at night to light the entire space. Numerous outdoor pursuits, such as hiking routes, planting vegetables on farms, rappelling waterfalls, swimming in river pools, and even rock climbing, are available in the morning.

Bijrani Forest

Bijrani forest is striking  place,  with attractions like dense forests, wildlife, & grasslands. It is the dry zone with diverse vegetation. It served as hunting ground for East India Company. Here, one can experience  elephant safari too. If you are planning trip to Corbett, you must try the ASIA’s first Cave Theme Resort , Bellmont Caves (formerly known as BRYS CAVES) . They provides you the taste of luxury stays and best prices to safari with great experience and wildlife encounters.

Garjiya Devi Temple

Garjiya Devi Temple is dedicated to the goddess Garjiya. This temple is settled on a big rock near the Kosi River. The span to pray and visit temple is during Kartik Purnima. 

https://blogs.bryscaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Garjiya-Devi-Temple.jpg

Sitabani Temple

As  name of this temple suggest it is  dedicated to Devi Sita from Ramayana. According to a mythology ,during Devi Sati’s Agnipariksha, she spent her days at this place. Tourist can visit and embibe the energy of greatest god Lord Rama and Devi Sati. READ MORE...

Address Jim Corbett National Park, Bhakrakot, Ramnagar, Uttarakhand 244715

ph no. – 9953226390

[bewitchingbooktours]

A Bewitching Monday

A Round-Up of Daily Virtual Book Tour Stops

The Story Behind the Story - Unbalanced Ph by J.M. Scarlet  #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3U1ljSU

The Divine and Deadly by Taylen Carver

“I knew this was wrong, so wrong.” “But it felt right, in a way I could never explain, as if I were retrieving parts of my past, calling them home.” Excerpt from The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic from Berkley Publishing Group on sale May 14, 2024. Now available for pre-order: https://bit.ly/3YDcQHB #nicolasolvinic #mysteryauthor #crimeauthor #thrillerwriter #criminology #criminologymastermind #crimefiction #crimethriller #crimenovels #detectivenovels #suspensenovels #thrillerbooks #murdermystery #mysteryseries #whodunit #mysteryreads #bookcommunity #mustread #bookrecommendation #bookish #booklovers #readinglist #bookclub #newrelease

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As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases #Amazon #ad #CommissionsEarned

[aboldone4]

Honkai Star Rail 1.4 spoilers

I super agree with OP on this point.

To further add to the USA parallels, the IPC also basically tried to buy a nation (Belobog) like how the USA “bought” the Philippines from Spain for 20 million dollars in 1898. I know what I’m talking about because they taught us about that in history class way back in grade school in the PH.

Some of my own thoughts as well:

I find it worrying how many people who played this quest or who play star rail in general think that the IPC is a “necessary evil.” That’s probably what the billion dollar corporation Hoyoverse wants you to take away from the game, but this idea that they’re the only ones who can help a group native to a certain area “develop” — based on standards of development imposed upon the group by the outsiders — is rhetoric used by colonizers IRL as well. Going back to the USA, they viewed their colonization of the Philippines as some kind of “benevolent assimilation.”

There are also people who’re like: why do you guys hate the IPC and Topaz but not the Stellaron Hunters or the Antimatter Legion? First, I think the Stellaron Hunters are cool for ruining an auction since I don’t really like those things due to how materialistic they make us. Also, their goals along with the Antimatter Legion’s goals are more abstract.

Individuals IRL have to deal with corporations and their BS regularly, while thieves/terrorists controlled by a guy who can see the future, and a faction full of people who just want to destroy everything, aren’t things we experience every day.

Now, I’m not saying it’s never okay to show evils that hit closer to home, but it felt like Hoyoverse was trying to justify the stances of people complicit in the actions of terrible corporations via Topaz.

And may I just say that the inherent idea of a corporation just feels evil to me, and not necessary.

I don’t hate Topaz, and while I’d like to think that it’s because of her seeming sympathetic, it’s really just because of pretty privilege and Numby. Also she’s voiced by someone who’s part Filipino in the EN dub so yeah.

I’m aware that I might not be too charitable in my interpretation of Hoyo’s intentions with the 1.4 quest, but man am I not inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt after the stuff they pulled with the Sumeru designs in Genshin and the racism of Paimon.

Also, I’m kinda worried about how Star Rail is gonna deal with these themes later on, especially with censorship from the CCP.

I still enjoy the game, but I think it’d be good to more critically look at everything Hoyoverse does from here.

Between this and the subtle-as-a-brick support of cryptocurrency through Hertareum and stuff with Herta, things are looking kinda bleak.

just finished the Jarilo-VI - future market quest and I was thinking

the IPC is basically the USA in space. if you don't agree with their system they'll show you some of their "democracy" (with their army)

[hanniejji]

I saw the other Lil phoenix brainrot and was like, what if lil phoenix was publicly humiliated in Mondstadt (Kaeya quickly went in a store to get lil phoe a drink so ye) and Diluc witnessed it, cause he was in the vicinity. What would he do?

Ehe anon, i will bring another brainrot later ehehe

i think at times like these, diluc's father instincts would jump right out along with some... personal feelings involved, because there is no way that he'd allow anyone to talk like that to phoenix. sure he hasn't been a good father to them, but he won't let others lay a single hand on phoenix, not even talk to them in that manner.

also, there's no guarantee that diluc would pull out his claymore because he's not calm in any way right now.

damn im having so many ideas for the phoenix fic that im planning to write aaaaahhh. a smol blurb for y'all :>

"and who are you to speak to them like that?"

"f-father!" your head whip back to look behind you, eyes gazing up to the very man you've been trying to reach out for the longest time now.

it was supposed to be a quick errand, a quick walk, a peaceful day for you and your uncle kaeya on his rare day off. you've just came from good hunter, eating lunch with kaeya, before setting home. but your uncle claimed to have something for you, so he went away for a while to buy something.

the moment he turned his back, you felt it.

the stares from everyone. they were watching you closely, you won't be surprised if they start talking about you to their peers, criticizing you as if they know you so well. and soon enough, a brave soul spoke.

it's a pitiful sight, really. a grown man staring down at a child no older than seven (7) as if you massacred his whole lineage.

you could've handled it on your own, honestly. you've learned to talk back without sounding improper to situations like this, being around kaeya too much taught you that these kinds of people aren't the type to back down if you don't put them in their place. you've seen how diluc talk his way around business men who knew nothing but to leech off of others, people who are all talk but lacks the brain to act. those meetings were boring, but if diluc wanted you to be there then who are you to refuse?

you didn't expect that diluc himself would be around to hear this man humiliate you in front of others.

"s-sir ragnvindr!"

diluc has a deep frown on his face and you can see his hands clenched into a fist beside him.

oh... wait. he must've been embarrassed to see me like this.

your face fell at the thought, gazing down at the pavement of the street, biting the inside of your cheeks to compose yourself. everyone else's opinions are insignificant, but if there's a person you don't want to disappoint, it's your father.

i must've look pitiful for him to intervene.

"just who do you think you are to talk to my child like that, hm? under what circumstances are you allowed to speak as if you know phoenix so well," diluc almost spat venom towards the sweating man in front of you, every step he take closer felt like the ground was rising in temperature. diluc was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode on this pathetic man trembling under the gaze of the uncrownd king of mondstadt.

my?... child?...

your eyes blew wide, your mouth itching to say something but you must look like a gaping fish out of its own pond. the words were stuck in your throat, building up like vile but unable to speak up. just when he stood right next to you did you snap from your thoughts, feeling a warm hand rest on the top of your head.

it felt unfamiliar, yet it put you in so much ease.

"oh! i was just, um," the stranger's hand went up to scratch at the back of his neck, "i was just joking around!"

"oh really?" diluc took a step closer to the man, his hand leaving a lingering warmth on your head that you wished didn't go away.

wait... is that—is that a claymore!?

"eh!?" you watched him raised his claymore right next to the trembling man's teary face, "f-father wait—"

"now, now, phoenix," an eerily cold hand rest upon your shoulder, prompting you to look up to see your uncle's amused face watching the scene unfold. "let the adults do their thing."

"uncle kaeya!"

he sends you a wink, merely patting your head before looking onwards. he seemed to not care that he's the cavalry captain who's supposed to stop whatever your father's going to do but...

"let me make this crystal clear for you so people like you would understand, i am far from joking around," diluc lowered his claymore down, strucking the edge to the ground. he seemed to speak in a higher volume too, as if he intends to make everyone hear whatever he's about to say. "no one has the right to talk to my child like that—" you feel your heart burst in happiness at hearing those words, "—you're a grown man, who are you to treat a child like that in the first place? what are you? some pathetic high status man who boast about his riches to children? that's just ridiculous and childish."

"if you're going to criticize phoenix, then i advice you look at yourself in the mirror," diluc tilted his chin up as if to degrade this man with just his stare, "you think you're oh so great and whatnot, i bet my phoenix can do so much better than you."

your hands went up to cover your gaping mouth, gasping along with the crowd of people that were gathered around to witness one of the rare moments that diluc loses his composure, if he even loses his composure at all.

my phoenix.

you can feel the onslaught of tears building up behind your eyes, your heart leaping out from your chest to scream out. you haven't lived long yet, but he had never been like this when it comes to you oh he has, he just doesn't show it. sure, he always addressed you as his child when meeting business acquaintances and peers, but never with such pride and... love.

kaeya looks down when he hears your quiet sniffling, smiling fondly at the way you try to discretely wipe your tears, feeling extremely at ease at the certain sparkle in your eyes that he had never seen before.

"i will say this one more time and i don't care how many times i have to repeat it until your brains understand," diluc's claymore disappeares as he turns to walk back to you. he settles a hand on your shoulder before looking right at the crowd of people.

"no one is allowed to ever talk like that to my phoenix. even if you do so without my knowledge, believe me when i say that i will know of it once and for all."

"oh, don't worry," kaeya speaks up, "i'll make sure you do~."

diluc gently nudges you to walk forward, his hand still on your shoulder as he walks towards the gates of mondstadt with kaeya on his heels, his jaw still clenched and grumbling under his breath.

"that's quite a spectacle you put out there huh," kaeya teased once the three of you are a few distances away from the gate.

"shut up," your father sneered, "and in what way did you think that leaving phoenix out there is okay!?"

"i can't exactly bring them inside cat's tail!" kaeya raises both his hand in defense, "besides, i was supposed to buy them the special nonalcoholic drink that cat's tail was serving. it won't be much of a surprise if i take them with me, right?"

as if on cue, he hands you a cup of something cool and baby blue in color, patting your head when you mumbled your gratitude.

"still, that's careless! what if someone tried to abduct them on spot?"

"what do you suggest i do then?" you didn't know how it was possible, but kaeya's smirk seemed to have turned a little more smug, "oh i know! maybe you should start taking them out for a walk yourself. you know, something that normal fathers would do to their child? that way, you could monitor their safety instead of wallowing in self pity."

"why you—!"

you couldn't help the giggle that escaped your throat, lips pursed together to stop the bubbling laughter from escaping your mouth. the two brothers turn their heads to look at you in surprise, both having not heard you giggle since you were a toddler.

"uh," you turn away to hide the embarrassed look on your face, deciding to walk ahead of them and sipping on the cup. "i'm feeling a little tired. can we head home?"

"of course," diluc answers in a heartbeat, his mind running miles and miles in a few seconds.

you sounded so much like your mother just now, he thought as he walks behind, mental images of your mother's delighted face flashing before his eyes.

it's safe to say that you cherished this rare moment close to your heart.

[jeeperso]

Dracula as D&D

Special thanks to Stavarosthearcane, who came up with this on discord, and figured out most of the picks.

The gist being, how would our intrepid vampire-hunting polycule shake out as an actual D&D party?

well, let’s go down this list, by order of introduction. Apologies for using the Coppola Dracula gifs, but it’s the version that has everybody. 

Johnathan Harker

Our dear friend, the sweet, sweet boy. Health and sanity almost ruined beyond repair by his escape from Castle Dracula. But as we discovered this year, he’d survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around him. Nothing would keep him away from Mina, and his intensity upon learning the Count was after her was enough that it spooked his fellow hunters at times.

But, even before that, from the telegram that revealed he’d lived

He came in the train from Klausenburg, and the guard was told by the station-master there that he rushed into the station shouting for a ticket for home. Seeing from his violent demeanour that he was English, they gave him a ticket for the furthest station on the way thither that the train reached.

well, rather narrows the options, doesn’t it?

Mr. Johnathan Harker is a Barbarian on the Path of the Zealot, his rage coming from his absolute “When Mina comes for me as a vampire I will go willingly” devotion to his wife, with the Haunted One background to reflect he has SEEN THINGS.

Mina Harker, nee Murray

The glue that holds this rampaging polycule together, and after the Professor, the smartest person in the entire party. that the entire book is the work of her research and transcription is proof enough of her proper class: Bard, College of Lore. To replicate her status as The Train Fiend (and her plans to be Johnathan’s secretary), Mina gets the Izzet engineer background, and its Urban Infrastructure feature. I am of course, open to better ideas

however, Mina is also multiclassing. Not by choice, as Dracula forces levels of Undead Warlock upon her, to make her like him. Why warlock? Because I’m reskinning eldritch blast as “give Mina a gun”. Mina also gets the ‘Watchers’ Dark Gift forced upon her, which is mostly of benefit to Dracula, but reflects how she learns to turn it against him a few times each day.

Dr. Jack Seward

A man of rationality, Dr. Seward has no time for magician’s parlor tricks, for his is the science of the mind. However, as we learn, he has quite the storied career before being put in charge of a sanitarium, and well versed in the sort of antics the professor gets up to. At the same time, when the impossible rears its head, Sweard is the one who immediately suspects mere madness or foul play rather than the unnatural, even from his own mentor

Dr. Seward is an Inquisitive Rogue, with the sage background

Quincy P. Morris

The Cowboy, whose solution to every problem is “Gun”, or failing that, “Knife”. Amongst the party of smart people, it’s obvious he graduated from Fighter Community College. But despite his affectations, he is no mindless brute. he is a gentleman who knows how to navigate the viper’s den that is Victorian High Society with aplomb, and his fighting spirit is second to none.

And, in the vein of Akira Kurosawa to Sergio Leone, Mr. Morris is a Samurai Fighter, with the Outlander background

Arthur Holmwood, the Honorable Lord Goldalming

there are several options for the man Lucy loved the most, and I was leaning bard (college of eloquence), but as Stavarosthearcane pointed out to me, when facing a monster with dominion over rats, it’s Arthur who planned ahead by bringing rat-catching terriers

Arthur is a Beastmaster Ranger (the poor bastard), but his real utility is the Inheritor background, which in addition to becoming the Noble background (with Position of privilege), comes with the Bruce Wayne levels of wealth needed to bankroll our newly made vampire hunters

Professor Abraham Van Helsing, M. D., D. Ph., D. Lit., etc., etc.

Older and experienced in the unusual, Van Helsing is spoiled for choice on what class to take and has almost certainly multiclassed. So, I will presume that, like Mina, he also started as a bard in the College of Lore, before becoming a cleric in the knowledge domain, and then power-levelling that class upon realizing he’s up against vampires

[linddzz]

Hi! I saw the post about octopusseseses and I went down a rabbit hole of octopus-human interaction vids, and apparently some people have a pet one. Thoughts on hobbyist aquarium keepers with octos? It seems like a very difficult animal to care for properly at home, but an interesting one. There's a lot of conflicting info on if one can ethically keep one at all. Sadly, I have chronic "cute i want one" disease when I see any animal. But I can't keep houseplants alive, so I won't, don't worry lol

Small octopuses can be successfully kept as a pet, but they do require a specialized tank and specialized care, and the smaller species can have a lifespan of 1-2 years. Overall my opinion is that as a pet, the amount of specialized care and expense that goes into keeping an octopus is just...not worth it for their short lifespan. Also I do NOT think anyone should get an octopus unless they're experienced with keeping saltwater aquariums. Here's a quick list of things that need to be kept in mind for an octopus.

-Lifeapan: like I said, smaller species of octopus that you can find in the hobby have shorter lifespans. You'd pretty much be setting a whole system up to keep one animal for a relatively short time.

-Octo-Proofing: the escape stories of octopuses are only slightly exaggerated. Public aquariums keep their octos in tanks designed to hold an octopus. They can climb, they're strong, and they have no bones and too much curiosity. An octopus tank will need a lid that is latched down, plus every single filter intake and return and overflow and ANYTHING will need mesh attached and attached in a way that the octopus can't just figure out how to rip it off. You will then have to clean that mesh frequently to make sure it doesn't get clogged up and mess your whole tank up

-Filtration: octopuses are messy. They have mucus that comes off them, they toss bones and shells from their food all over the tank and eat daily. They're sensitive to high nitrates and their hemocyanin blood makes them sensitive to shifts in pH. You'll want a good protein skimmer at least and I'd recommend a system with a sump that'll allow good gas exchange while still being able to keep the top of the tank closed up against octopus escapes. You'll want to do weekly water changes and for smaller systems it's better to just set up an automatic top-off to keep the salinity stable.

-Tankmates: you won't have any tank mates that last long except maybe some tiny asterina starfish and corals.

-Bastard Factor: ok so I don't know if it's common in the hobby but it is not unheard of for some smaller octo species with lidded tanks to figure out that if they can push the lid up just enough to spray water out of the tank then the lid will open up and other such bastard animal shenanigans that sound charming and fun to read but are way less charming to actually deal with.

-Food: so this isn't impossible but they do need a variety of prey items that are sometimes more expensive. Octos are opportunistic hunters but most of their prey consists of invertebrates and you'll want to offer a good mix through the week for the best nutrition. This can include whole small clams/mussels, small crabs, krill, squid chunks, shrimp, and occasional fish like silversides.

-Enrichment: these are smart animals, which is the appeal! But even when you're not interacting with them the octopus is going to need things to interact with. This can be puzzle feeders, toys to take apart, plastic jars, frozen whole small clams/crabs, octopus popsicles made of frozen saltwater with food inside (which will also make a mess of your water as it melts!) and then you need to change up the items offered or add multiple items through the day.

So overall I would say it's possible to keep an octopus ethically as a pet if you're already an experienced aquarium hobbyist who is able to do a specialized system and the extra routine of enrichment. But the money, time, effort, money, and MONEY involved just makes them not really worth it as a pet. And each one has a different personality, so there is no guarantee that you'll have an octopus that has any interest in human interaction.

[myristicisms]

Pushy. Typically wherever he managed to end up, the people often avoided him as best they could; a SOLDIER being anywhere outside headquarters usually was a bad omen for most and while he hated having that reputation follow closely behind him, Zack could hardly blame them for it. The reminder of who he is, what he's done, does little to soothe the swordsman and especially not when he can tell he's more than just unwelcome. Moments such as this really pushed him into wondering more and more if chasing his foolish dream as a child was really worth all the bloodshed and shame he couldn't quite ignore. Honorable men have died for much less than thinking about abandoning their post and even in his position, Fair still wasn't above punishment.

Then there's the reminder of all that's back home, back in Midgar even and the other reminder of what he's gotten himself into damn near slaps him upside the head. ( You really did it now, eh? ) The other citizens of Wutai would have accepted him trying to skitter off, he knows because he's already experienced it several times on this trip alone and yet the teenager before him was actively pushing to help. Hospitality isn't a shocker for the locals but this was really pushing it and the fact that Zack had no clue what the other was planning only made him all the more uncomfortable with the insistence. He's supposed to be checking points of interest, not get hassled by a younger man after asking for directions.

Although it is deserved to some degree and for a moment he's amused at the memory of another experience he's had with a warrior of Wutai, ( Well... Warrior in training I guess. ) he really should check his PHS in case the treasure hunter sent him another email. That's for another time though, gotta get back to his quarters first.

“ Hey. ” He begins, firm in tone while still trying to remain as courteous as one can be, “ I can back track just fine, I'm not here to disrupt your guys's peace and honestly I think I've seen all I need to. If you really need to see me off then you're more than welcome to walk me to the border but aside from that, I'd really prefer you guys just forgot I asked for anything. ” Way to go, starting an argument with the very people he's helped cause problems for; But he's really unsure of why the sudden change of heart on the dark haired man's part and it really was setting off numerous alarms in his head.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭  𝐡𝐚𝐝  𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠  𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝  𝐢𝐭𝐬  𝐰𝐚𝐲  𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡  𝐡𝐢𝐬  𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧  to  lay  rot,  bile  quick  to  rise  whenever  the  conversation  steered  to  the  company  that  had  all  but  laid  claim  to  their  land.  the  war  had  ended,  on  paper,  sure,  but  the  citizens  of  wutai  had  nothing  to  alleviate  the  pain  it  caused.  people  were  dead,  homes  and  cities  alike  destroyed,  and  in  the  end,  it  was  the  older  men  in  power  who  decided  they  would  surrender.  yet  while  the  people  may  be  wounded,  they  were  down,  but  certainly  not  out.  sonon  wished  there  was  a  way  to  say  that,  to  spread  the  message,  to  tell  these  bastards  they  wouldn't  just  stand  by  idle  as  they  were  slaughtered.  but  even  whispers  of  that  had  officers  sent  out  and  soldiers  thrown  on  missions  to  eliminate  any  murmurs.  the  people  of  wutai  were  forced  to  sit  around  and  watch  their  family  and  friends  blatantly  discriminated  against or  killed,  while  sonon  and  melphie  had  to  smile  and  give  directions  to  a  man  who  planned  to  do  the  very  same.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ of  course,  the  dark  -  haired  stranger  seemed  surprised  by  his  sister's  presence,  probably  approaching  sonon  without  even  a  second  thought  to  the  fact  the  wutaian  could  have  actually  been  doing  something.  he's  shinra;  everyone  who  willingly  chose  to  work  for  that  company  —  and  strove  to  rise  the  ranks  like  a  soldier  would  —  doesn't  care  for  his people.  they  will  destroy  buildings  of  heritage  if  it  meant  setting  up  a  reactor,  massacre on  sacred  lands  and  take  without  even  the  slightest  thought  of  giving.  distant  whispers  of  how  to  save  the  country  of  wutai  involved  the  people  of  midgar's  endless  greed,  making  the  country  some  tourist  attraction  in  hopes  of  salvaging  their  crumbling  economy.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ that  achingly  familiar  disgust  only  claws  at  him  as  sonon  shakes  his  head slightly.  before  the  war,  those  born  in  wutai  were  known  for  being  polite.  it's  not  something  forgotten;  just  harder  to  keep  up  when  around  usurpers.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ❛❛  at  least  let  us  point  you  in  the  direction  ❜❜  he  doesn't  leave  much  room  for  refusal,  arms  crossed  over  red  and  grey  fabric.  the  stranger  is  correct  in  having  already  bothered  the  pair,  but  now  that  he'd  done  that,  it  was  their  job  to  find  what  he  was  up  to  —  or  at  least  be  able  to  gauge  it.  sonon  had  a  decent  enough  idea  of  where  illegal  talks  of  rebellion  took  place  and  where  people  of  importance  lived.  he  may  not  be  strong  enough  to  stop  a  soldier,  but  he  and  his  sister  were  still  ninjas,  damnit.  they  could  save  someone  if  it  came  down  to  it,  and  with  how  things  were  in  wutai,  even  a  single  loss  was  becoming  more  and  more  dire.

[hexalianrebel-blackfeathers]

The Pandadex

Panda's Notes: Heya! I'm basically making this post because my drawing skill is still too low to satisfy my bastard mind. >-< I've been making a lot of Fakémon and a couple Region concepts since I posted the last one a few months back, and I wanted to share them. Most of them are works in progress, and I'm still debating how all of them look, but I hope you like the concepts. There are plenty of other ideas besides these, but they're not in a presentable state yet.

The Duos Region--Play Fair, Fight a Pair

In the Duos Region, every fight is a Double Battle, even Starters are given in pairs instead of alone. NPCs and wild Pokémon are much more strategic and cooperative during battle. Several Pokémon evolutions are affected by other Pokémon alongside their level and environment.

Humbunny and Clatterat Lines: The first of the group. Basically the pair that started my idea for the region. Humbunny might be my favorite, but I just love them being friends. >w<

Fewine Line: I originally thought of it as a starter for a cat-based dex, but when I thought about pairing it with Shuckle, I couldn't help sticking it in here. Also, I admit I'm just very proud of the name Fewine.

Plusle and Minun (Duos Variant): I knew the Plus and Minus abilities had to appear in the Duos Region somewhere, so I decided to give these two a variant. They are based on Hydrangeas, and I was so happy when the colors matched up for pH detection.

Pawridge Line(s)//"Goldilocks & Bears": The idea for this came from an old friend of mine. >w< The typing and gender split concept were his idea, I just filled in some gaps.

The Mortem Region--All Who Live Here Die Suffering

In the Mortem Region, this very haunted island region is home to a death curse that wiped out all of the humans. Any Pokémon living here are either already dead or doomed to follow. The player is part of a team of 'ghost hunters' supposedly trying to make the island habitable again. Giratina is in there somewhere.

Monkiddo Line: You might remember this one. >w< This is the ghost dex that Monkiddo's post mentions.

Distorteon and Huskeon: Some Eeveelutions for the Deathdex! That's not weird! I actually came up with Distorteon for Legends Arceus. Just seemed like a missed opportunity. Huskeon... I admit it scares me.

Owtlit Line: Named by a different friend, even though part of me still wants to use the name Pronghoul... Owtlit actually came pretty close after Humbunny and Clatterat in my brain.

Curioskitty (Skitty "Variant"): Ooh, Gods bless if you get through this beast. I admit it's a favorite. Still debating if it's a Skitty variant or not though. I kinda turned it into an Eevee clone. >w< I know the Steel Type is missing...

I hope you guys enjoy! And I hope I can get my drawing skill up enough... Panda loves you!

[asfaltics]

attended to his letters; a course of reducing exercises

  or did you hear commentaries [     ] over the radio? I don’t have the time to do it. You don’t have time to do it.       1 and that, of course, you don’t have time to was taught the game       2   increasing the feed for / my dope, but you don’t have time       3 You don’t have time to investigate them fully yourself? No       4   It was hard work?   — Yes, sir. You have to be fast and do the best you can. You don’t have time       5 for nearly everything; you don’t have time       6   You don’t have time to bother about your neighbors, and you don’t       7 enjoy our own com . pany , as we never have any chance to see friends around home, for you don’t have time after and before       8   And in some cases wastefully?   — Not wastefully. Does not one involve the other?   — I don’t see it in that light. A man applies for relief. You don’t have time to see that man.       9 you don’t have time to spend one hour in thinking every day to see your business in a bigger, better, and cleaner way than it is today. [     ] desk covered with papers, unfinished business, no time to see       10   the “ticket” for large swamps. You don’t have time       11 You see, when you’re on the news end of a thing like this you don’t have time to get worked up.       12   “Well,” she said, “I suppose you are so busy at the office you don’t have time.       13 you are so terribly busy that I suppose you don’t have time to feel lonesome. Why can’t girls do something like that, too?       14   “How did you like it down there?” he asked. “Well” — she paused thoughtfully — “down there you can keep busy. There’s something to do all the time; you can keep so occupied that you don’t have time to stop and think and feel.”       15 you don’t have time to think of danger” But one foggy morning not long after...       16   today. always say you don’t have time to read. ward, like a girl       17 By the time he had days. When you’re busy you don’t have time to attended to his letters.       18   a course of reducing exercises, you don’t have time to think of that. I don’t believe I’m abnormal, perhaps I am, but       19 Well, I use two formulas; saying you “don’t have time” is part of the world of citation. Saying you “have time” is part of the world of translation. I think that the questioning typical of translation has always been absent in the plastic arts.       20  

sources   ( “you don’t have time,” all but two pre-1923 )

1 ex reporters’ transcript, April 20, 1959, The People of the State of California, Plaintiff, vs. Louis Estrada Moya, et al., Defendent, being part of the Transcript of Record, Supreme Court of the United States, October Term, 1960, No. 186, Luis Estrada Moya, Petitioner, vs. California on write of certiori to the Supreme Court of the State of California (petition filed June 9, 1960; granted June 27, 1960) : 200 aside — Google misdated this 1832; 1960 was outside of my search range. A well-known case (I was too young at the time to know it). Some sources : ◾ “A mother-in-law’s murder for hire scheme results in death penalty for all three participants” at vcdistrictattorney, in which this : “What made the case unique? The hired killers testified against Mrs. Duncan without commitment [that] the District Attorney would not seek the death penalty in exchange for their testimony... In fact, all three received the death penalty and were executed. Of course, today’s appellate courts would likely reverse a case in which a defense attorney failed to seek sentencing concessions in exchange for testimony.”   ◾ Arlene Martinez, “Love, scandal and murder: Ventura County case drew national attention,” VC Star (June 29, 2013)   ◾ Alice de Sturler review of Jim Barrett his definitive Ma Duncan at Defrosting Cold Cases (October 17, 2020)   ◾ Cecelia Rasmussen, “A Mother’s Love Was the Death of Her Daughter-in-Law,” Los Angeles Times (January 20, 2002; paywall)   ◾ Joan Renner, “Dead Woman Walking: Elizabeth Ann ‘Ma’ Duncan,” parts 1-4 (2013) at Deranged LA Crimes (True 20th Century tales of murder, mayhem, political corruption, and celebrity scandal) and, finally,   ◾ wikipedia 2 OCR cross-column misread, at Annie Eliot, “John Emerson Gaines’s Love Affairs,” The Manhattan 2:5 (November 1883) : 467-475 (468) snippet view only, opens to hathitrust. Annie Eliot Trumbull (1857–1949), author of novels, short stories, and plays; associated with Hartford, Connecticut’s “Golden Age”. wikipedia 3 OCR cross-column misread at H. E. Browing on “Pig Tails,” at The Swine World (Google titles it Poland China World) 5:2 (September 1917) : 11 4 ex Statement of William E. Johnson, chief special officer, United States Indian Affairs, before Committee on Indian Affairs, re: Senate Resolution No. 263 (Washington, 1910) : 367-400 (392) an intense exchange, on sale of alcohol on reservations. William E. “Pussyfoot” Johnson (1862-1945) was an energetic and resourceful prohibitionist and law enforcement officer. (wikipedia) 5 here, Julius Baum, examined by J. R. Lamar (January 29, 1896), in Contested Election Case of Thomas E. Watson Vs. J.C.C. Black, from the Tenth Congressional District of the State of Georgia, and published in/by the U.S. Congress, Committee on Elections (Washington, 1896) : 535 aside — an episode in the dismantling of Reconstruction institutions and Black suffrage.   ◾ Thomas E(dward). Watson (1856-1922) (wikipedia).   ◾ Watson is discussed in Jo Ann Whatley, her remarkable MA thesis Pike County Blacks : the spirit of populist revolt and White tolerance (1891-1896) as depicted in the Pike County Journal and other related sources (Atlanta University, 1984), available here   ◾ Watson was succeeded by James C(onquest). C(ross). Black (1842-1928) (wikipedia). “Black was declared the winner of the election but Watson charged that the vote was fraudulent. Black agreed to resign his seat just after the opening of the 54th Congress so that a new election could be held. In the October 1895 special election, Black prevailed over Watson again, and thus took his seat back to fill the vacancy caused by his own resignation.” J.C. C. Black entry, at Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 6 ex Investigation of Hazing at U. S. Military Academy, being “Testimony taken by the Select Committee of the House of Representatives appointed to investigate and report on the alleged hazing and resulting death of Oscar L. Booz, late a cadet at the Military Academy, and upon the subject of the practice of hazing at the said academy.” (1901) : 776 7 another contested election, here Mrs. Louise Roller under cross-examination by Mr. Goldsmith, in Scholl, Charles L. Vs. Bell, Henry A. Jefferson Circuit Court (Louisville, Kentucky), Chancery Branch: First Division, Chas. L. Scholl, Plaintiff Vs. Henry A. Bell, Defendant. No. 41519. / Second Division, Arthur Peter, Plaintiff Vs. Chas. A. Wilson, Defendant, No. 41524. : “Contested election cases heard together,” Transcript of Record, Volume 8 (10 volumes in 9) : 39 (snippet only, but in full at hathitrust) 8 ex report from Washington Division (by Cert. 9730), 23:5 (May 1906) [number/month uncertain, could be June] : 712 (opens to hathitrust; found via google snippet view) 9 ex the “Poplar Inquiry,” here an examination of Mr. P. G. Miles, Relieving Officer, in Transcript of Shorthand Notes taken at the Public Inquiry held by J. S. Davy, C.B., Chief General Inspector of the Local Government Board, “into the general conditions of the Poplar Union, its pauperism, and the admnistration of the guardians and their officers.” Presented to both Houses of Parliament... (London, 1906) : 141 On the Poplar workhouse, see workhouses.org.uk (scroll down (near bottom) to “The Poplar Union Scandal and Inquiry”).   ◾ Poplar is a district in East London (wikipedia) 10 ex E. Elmo Martin (Cleveland, Ohio), “How to hand the day’s work,” in National Lime Association Proceedings (Twentieth Annual Convention, Cleveland, Ohio; June 13-16, 1922) : 68-76 (73) (snippet view; full view at hathitrust) 11 ex H. Stimmons (Stark Co., Ohio), “More about coon hounds,” Hunter-trader-trapper 25:3 (December 1912) : 87-89 (88) (snippet view at Google, but full view at hathitrust, NW second paragraph) 12 ex Wayland Wells Williams (“author and artist,” 1888-1945), The Whirligig of Time (Frederick A. Stokes, 1916) : 335 Wayland Wells Williams papers at Yale YCAL MSS 551 13 ex T.I.M., “Dimpleton Stays at Home : A Story with a Real Moral,” in Life (July 25, 1907) : 155-158 (156) 14 snippet view only, at The Cactus (Austin, Texas; 1908) : 275 A journal “published by and for the students of the University of Texas”; 1907 and 1909 (but not 1908 alas) at hathitrust. 15 “down there” being Chicago, ex Henry Oyen (1883-1921), chapter 36 of “Big Flat,” in The Country Gentleman 84: (March 8, 1919) : 20, 22, 57-59 The novel was published in 1919, same passage at p 204 (NYPL copy)   ◾ Haven't located much information about Oyen; his published work is listed at his Online Books page 16 Homer Randall. Army Boys in the French Trenches Or, Hand to Hand Fighting with the Enemy (New York: George Sully & Company, 1918) : 199 Six “Army Boys” titles were produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate 1918-1920, all under the pseudonym Homer Randall : Army Boys in France, Army Boys in the French Trenches, Army Boys on the Firing Line, Army Boys in the Big Drive, Army Boys Marching into Germany, and Army Boys on German Soil (stratemeyer.org)   ◾ The Stratemeyer Syndicate records (1832-1984; bulk 1905-1984) are at NYPL  ◾ See also Stratemeyer pseudonyms and series books : an annotated checklist of Stratemeyer and Stratemeyer Syndicate publications / compiled and edited by Deidre Johnson (1982); Deidre Johnson, Edward Stratemeyer and the Stratemeyer Syndicate (Twayne Publishers, 1993); and wikipedia 17 OCR cross-column misread at Harriet Winton Davis, “With the Children : Don’s Knitting,” in The Congregationalist and Advance (August 29, 1918) : 241 Other (not this) issues at hathitrust 18 OCR cross-column misread (extended here), ex H. D. Morgan, Ph. C., “The Kid,” in the section Original and Selected : From the best writers, and the leading drug, medical, chemical and scientific publications of the world, in Practical Druggist and Pharmaceutical Review of Reviews (November 1908) : 529-534 19 Frank R. Adams (1883-1963), “The Heart Pirate,” (illustrations by Charles D. Mitchell), in The Cosmopolitan 72:3 (March 1922) : 43-48, 117-118 (44) — snippet view, but opens at hathitrust More — “... yell for a diet and start doing a course of reducing exercises, you don’t have time to think of that. I don’t believe I’m abnormal, perhaps I am, but just since this afternoon I have come to the conclusion that if you want to put down crime you’ve got to suppress more than just alcohol — you’ve got to suppress the modern flapper. They’re so damnably desirable...” (It gets worse...). See wikipedia; author’s papers at Oregon 20 ex Giuseppe Caccavale : in giardino, a buon fresco (content by Laura Cherubini, Giuseppe Caccavale, Chiara Bertola and Claudia Gian Ferrari; Charta, 2009) : 77

Needed another line, and thought Samuel Beckett might provide. Search yielded no Beckett, but the above passage, fitting in its way and no more nor less ambiguous than anything else here. something recent — Giuseppe Caccavale « Projet Paul Celan », Residence Concordia, Parigi gennaio-ottobre 2020; testo e foto dell’artista. (1 February 2021)  

method

A friend reminded me, recently, that I don’t have time (for what is irrelevant here). Have been ruminating on (avoiding the consequences of) this, since. And thinking too about the place dimension of time, as discussed by Veronica O’Keane in her The Rag and Bone Shop : How we make memories and memories make us (2021) — “One’s sense of time is inseparable from events, but this is a sense of time. Might time have something to do with place cells?” (107) and “The whole concept of time is generally unhelpful in understanding science, be it physics or neuroscience... From the perspective of recording events, the present is consciousness. In a seemingly ironic twist, I myself think that the only place that time does not exist is in the moment of consciousness...” (113)

The encountered lines — all included above from my search in pre-1923 sources — have found their respective though non-chronological places in a kind of rocking, panning motion, in which sediments settle into their respective ripples / couplets.

Would, could, does this — sequence — work (whatever “work” means) without the anchorings / tetherings / bibliographic wastefull(ness; line 9 above) that follow it? They were needed in the making, anyway, and for there to be sufficient distraction for the making to sustain.

all subject to change.  

[kannra21]

Haru Kato x Reader 💗

I'm sad that there's no Haru x reader hcs/scenarios so I wrote smtng to make y'all's day *PS it gets kinda dirty but nothing happens lol*. Hope you enjoy!

It was on a cold cloudy afternoon that y/n decided to go on a little stroll through the nature. She already informed her family about it and took her phone just in case, because let's be honest, who in today's world doesn't have a phone with themselves? She put on her favorite pair of boots and a jacket her mother often complained about. So what if it wasn't thick enough? She loved the jacket and guys would usually give her the looks whenever she crossed paths with them. She loved the attention, that brought her in trouble most of the time.

She entered the snow-covered forest, a place she knew and paths that led to the unknown. However, the curiosity took the best of her so she continued through the branches that lay on the ground and the stones that challenged her. Going for a little adventure wasn't such a bad thing, exploring her surroundings was supposed to be a positive experience. Every once in a while a person grows tired with responsibilities, sometimes people wander around in order to avoid facing the boring part of their lives. It was relaxing and the fresh air cooled away her worries. As much as she appreciated the bird's singing in the distance, y/n put on her headphones and listened to her favorite music. The crunching of snow no longer bothered her and a little penetration through it brought a smile on her face. The place was quiet and peaceful and she loved the way everything looked so much more beautiful thanks to the icicles shining from the pine woods. I mean, holy cow! Sometimes she forgot to just stop and take it all in.

And nothing could ever compare to that awestrucking view on the other side of the hill. The landscape was covered in beautiful combinations of white, blue and black and y/n couldn't help herself but to feel amazed. This was soooo going to end up on her Instagram profile. Her friend would be absolutely devastated upon seeing it, she should be sorry for not joining her when she called and y/n enjoyed every bit of it. She approached and climbed a wrecked tree to catch a better picture, her hands were a little shaky and the cool air sent chills though her body. Mom was always right about everything. Screw it.

She took a step further and, unfortunately, the crust she was standing on was so slippery that her leg moved away and she fell into a trapping pit. Her body hurt a little but otherwise she regained herself, everything seemed to be fine, she was okay and she comforted herself, until she tried to move her left leg but to no avail. She was in so much pain and she felt like screaming. It wasn't fair and the tears started to gather in her eyes. She felt cold and her pants and jacket were soaked from being covered in the snow thanks to the awkward fall.

Fuck, fuck, FUCK! What the fuck was the goddamn pit even doing here? It seemed like the freaking hunters forgot to clean after their stupid ass selves. And rangers never reported the losers in the first place. Screw them! Screw them all!... But then she laughed under her breath. Who was she kidding? It was her who was so stupidly clumsily that she couldn't keep her fucking balance. Maybe she messed up her leg for a reason? Was she punished by some higher ass force for her stupid deeds? Of course, she was so goddamn stupid and she hated herself. The pain and the cold never ceased to leave her body and she rubbed her hands together.

And then she remembered something, her phone! She tried to find it somewhere, anywhere around the place but after 5min of thorough searching she concluded that it wasn't there, that it landed somewhere around the pit and y/n felt like loosing all the hope that still remained in her.

Hopeless and disappointed, y/n squeezed into herself and, having no other choice, endured the pain and waited for someone to save her. She yelled and yelled for help in case someone was walking nearby but after so many times of persistently trying to attract someone's attention, she decided to give up because she only grew weaker and colder.

She didn't even know how much the time has passed and she felt so tired that everything she wanted to do was fall asleep but she tried to keep herself awake. She didn't want to pass out just yet. Y/n continued blowing warm air on her hands, hoping to keep herself warm. She often watched on the television how professional survivers kept themselves warm by doing all kinds of exercises. Since y/n couldn't walk, she stretched the rest of her upper body but it didn't feel any better. The more she stretched, the colder she felt. She was also afraid of sweat freezing her skin so she decided to sit like that, pinned to the wall as much as possible to at least keep her back covered.

Fuck her and her fucked ass life. She started to overthink things. How she let her family and her friends down. Everyone who loved and cared for her so dearly will hear about the news, that is, if anyone manages to find her and her dead body lying on the ground all frozen. She replayed her entire life in her head and y/n felt like crying again. She slowly but surely lost all the expectations of returning home alive.

After a while of quiet sobbing she heard someone's steps nearing her place and shouting her name. Y/n grew alert.

"I'm here!! I'm here!! Oh God please help me out please!" she exclaimed desperately.

A guy with light brown hair and golden eyes peered from the corner of the pit. His hair looked somewhat unruly and styled with messy and loose bangs framing his face.

"So you're Y/N! Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Well duh Sherlock, how do you think I ended up here? The pit is at least 5m deep! And I rolled down that hill over there!"

Haru flinched, he didn't like the tone of her voice. "Everything is going to be fine, try to calm down and take my hand.", he got to his knees and leaned forward to reach her.

Y/n tried to stand up one more time but the immense pain pierced through her once again and she screamed.

"What happened?!" Haru grew concerned.

"I.. I can't stand on my left leg. It hurts so much."

"Alright, stay where you are. I'll try to-" as Haru was about to turn from leaning from his previous position, his hand slipped and, losing the support, he fell into the pit and groaned in discomfort. Y/n couldn't believe her own eyes. The only person who could help her in this very moment got trapped together with her. She didn't know if she should laugh or cry, she felt like losing her mind.

"Y/n, it isn't as bad as you think. Here, I took my ph-" Haru looked at his phone and noticed that it got broken from falling to the ground full force.

Y/n started sobbing and Haru jumped in surprise. He felt really bad and hugged her to calm her down. "I know you're in pain and I know how harsh it must be to stay down here for such a long time, but everything is going to be okay. Your parents already informed the police and we were searc-"

"My parents called the police?!" y/n shouted in surprise.

"Yes they noticed you've been absent longer than usual so they sent us to search after you."

"Wait. You're a police officer?"

"Yea I'm sorry for not wearing the classic black uniform you people got so used to. Things happened and I-"

"iactuallythinkthatyou'rekindahot"

"What?"

"nevermind"

Haru blushed and y/n tried to change the topic.

"How did you manage to find me?"

"I barely caught your location through your phone so I followed it, but the signal got interrupted every once in a while because we're in the middle of the forest after all so let's say that it was the sheer luck that I managed to find y-"

Y/n started tearing again and Haru panicked "I mean it's not the luck that helped me, you have to believe me! Look, my colleagues are already searching for us so they'll definitely find us!"

"Yes but how long will it take them to do so?"

"..." Haru felt really bad for her, he tried to make her feel better but even he wasn't so sure how to do it. "They're professionals so don't worry. They'll come here soon."

"I hope you're right.." y/n squeezed into herself once again and hid her face between her crossed hands. "Why do I always need to mess everything up? Because of me you ended up trapped as well."

"Please don't blame yourself, I ended up here because of my own clumsiness.. Man I'm such a klutz."

"We're both like walking disasters."

They laughed and Haru continued the conversation to pass the time. He talked about himself and the tragic thing that happened which led him to leave the First Division and join the MCPTF. He also talked about Daisuke and all the things that annoyed him about his partner, but in the end he concluded that he believes that he's not so bad despite his wealthy background.

Y/n fell more in love the further she listened to him. He was so kind, humanistic and just. He always paid attention to other people's needs and risked his life on many occasions to protect others. He's passionate about his work and he's really sympathetic, even towards those who didn't deserve it.

"You're such a nice person Haru. Just like a guardian angel." y/n smiled.

"R-really? I don't hear this often haha!" he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"It's true. Why are you being so modest? You should appreciate yourself more."

"I think it’s for the best if only one of us has an ego. Because, if I were of the same nature, I don't know how Kambe would react. He is a difficult person."

"I think you're too good for him. Try to give him a taste of his own medicine."

"You want to corrupt me? You're the bad girl type or something?" Haru teased and y/n blushed.

"N-no I just think that you deserve more respect from him." y/n fiddled with her fingers and Haru smiled, he found her little quirks so adorable.

"I think that you're a beautiful person as well, Y/n."

The air between them became tense and they blushed.

"Thank you Haru, I'm glad you think so."

Y/n talked about herself as well, her job, family and friends and how she ended up in the pit in the first place. She tried to stand up again but it still hurt her and she hissed in pain.

"You shouldn't force yourself. Here, take my jacket."

"You want me to put the jacket over a jacket? But what about you? You'll only stay in your shirt."

"I don't mind. My top priority right now is to make sure that you come home safe and sound and in order to do this, I need to keep you warm."

"But-"

"No buts." Haru took off his jacket, wrapped her up, lifted her closer to him and put her into his lap.

"W-w-what are you doing?!!" y/n bonked him on the head and he yelped in pain.

"It's better if you sit on me than on the cold hard floor, you're going to get sick. Besides, I can easily warm you up like this so you don't catch hypothermia."

"Oh.. sorry about that."

"It's okay. Look, I understand how you feel right now but I'm not trying to harm you in any way. I already told you everything about myself and I'm not a weirdo. You can trust me."

"Aight aight." Y/n smiled and shifted closer this time. Haru, being the pure guy he was, probably didn't notice how this position made her feel so she wanted to let him know.

She further adjusted in his lap and leaned completely against him, with Haru's head lying on her left shoulder and taking her hands in his bigger ones, rubbing and warming them up.

The close proximity between them was unreal and Y/n smirked at him from the corner of her face.

"Just so you know, this is a very professional behavior." Haru defended himself and y/n felt like breaking into laughter."

"However you say, Mr. Police officer." she whispered in his ear, lips touching the earlobe with every word she spoke and it took him all self-control in this world not to go wild just from that small gesture.

He succeeded at keeping his cool but he didn't succeed at keeping his cool down there and y/n teased him further until he couldn't sit like this anymore.

"Okay okay I get it. Let me think.. try to change positions." Y/n stood up and sat in front of him this time, legs crossed behind his back and hugging him around the torso.

"Warmer~" y/n hummed in delight.

"Y-y/n.. do you really have to put your legs like this?"

"Whoops my bad." she took her leg and threw it over the other, making them face the same direction. Now she was leaning on his left hand, head lying under his own. It was the posture they were both satisfied with and although he could warm her like this, Haru had other problems.

The strain on his suit pants refused to subdue and y/n's hair felt so soft and smelled so nice to him. He became warmer in the face. What was going on with him?

Y/n could feel how stiff and nervous he was so she lifted her head to look at him but his eyes were averted to the other side.

"Is everything alright? Can I help?"

Haru couldn't help himself but to be honest, otherwise he'd just look like an idiot "It's.. not every day that I hold such a beautiful girl in my lap." He looked red and he was breathing heavily. "I'm sorry.. it's just that-"

She stood up from her previous position and sat between him this time.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly. Y/n took his face in her hands and kissed him carefully which surprised both of them.

What seemed to be a soft passionate exchange soon turned into something rougher, with hands roaming through their bodies and tongues colliding. Haru turned her around and pinned her to the wall.

"This is *sigh* a very bad idea *sigh*".

"Why? Are you seeing someone?"

"No."

"Neither do I." she took him for the collar of his shirt and they made out. Their movements became more frantic and Haru felt a twinge of guilt dawning on him.

"I don't want to hurt you.." he whispered, excitement running through him. "It's hard to suppress myself when I feel like this."

"Why? What do you feel?"

"I.." Haru stopped, his thoughts jumbled inside. "I'm so in love with you and we just met. I mean, it's not like you're a compete stranger since we introduced ourselves and said things about ourselves. You're a beautiful person y/n, and I'm afraid of betraying your trust."

"Haru, there's nothing to be worried about."

"Are you sure about this? Honey this is a big thing."

"Honey huh?" Y/n teased and he hid his face in her neck, embarrassment taking the best of him.

She kissed his hair and hugged him around the neck. "I love you too, Haru. You're the best thing that happened to me."

He took advantage of their position and sucked on her neck, earning a moan from her. As he kissed down her collar bone and she unbuttoned his shirt, they heard someone coughing from above and they froze.

"You're supposed to help a civilian in trouble, Kato-keibu."

Haru stumbled back on the snow in surprise. "I-It's not.. Where were you?! We were waiting for you in ages!"

"HEUSC managed to determine the location despite the signal interference. Seems like you succeeded in finding a nice occupation to fill the time gap."

"It's called body warmth, Kambe."

"I'm sure that body warmth doesn't look like that." Daisuke smirked and Haru looked angry.

"So you're Daisuke Kambe, right?" y/n asked and Daisuke analysed her face with his high tech glasses.

"Yes and you're the person we're searching for. Kato, what are you doing down there besides snogging?"

"Kambe I swear, I slipped awkwardly and fell. Can you grab her with anything to help her get out of here? She sprained her ankle and can't move much."

Daisuke's mechanic hands protruded from his specially-equipped suit and he hoisted them up to the safety.

"Thanks I guess." Haru brushed the snow off of himself and sneezed.

Y/n looked at his unbuttoned shirt and she quickly buttoned it up, blushing from embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry, you can take your jacket back."

"No this is staying on you." He turned his back to her and squatted a little. "Get on, you can't walk this far by yourself."

"A-are you sure?" y/n asked worried.

"It's going to be okay." he smiled at her reassuringly and she complied.

Daisuke watched them from behind and thought about Haru's smile, it wasn't the same as when he looked at Suzue for the first time during their Isezaki mission. His partner was in love and he didn't know why but he found the fact pretty entertaining.

[darks-ink]

Got My Reasons

“Doing the right thing for the wrong reason doesn’t make it good!” His glow flickered wildly, coalescing and twirling like flames. His eyes burned bright like a jack-’o-lantern’s. “Just because you helped me doesn’t make you the better person!” “You practically served yourself up to us,” she retorted, her voice flat. “What else did you expect, a heavily injured ghost unconscious in the vehicle of ghost hunters?”

Prompt: After being seriously wounded in a fight, Danny collapses inside the Fenton GAV to recoup. When his parents are called to the ghost sighting a few minutes later, however, they don’t notice who they’ve brought along for the ride Prompt by: @sapphireswimming Word count: 7,625

[AO3] [FFN] [more Phic Phight fics]

Content warning: descriptions of serious injuries, kinda terrible medical practice. The usual. But it’s all okay in the end!

---

The GAV screeched to a sudden halt, Maddie already half out the door before it had stopped. The ghost on the road in front of them roared, baring oversized fangs at the vehicle.

She rushed around the car, pulling open the doors in the back with force. A weapon. That’s all she needed. A weapon, ASAP.

The thought distracted her enough that she stumbled, almost falling over something out of place in the GAV. She barely caught herself on one of the shelves, already turning to scold Jack, when she saw—

“Phantom,” she whispered, feeling her brain grind to a halt.

Because it was, without a doubt, Phantom. The ghost seemed to be severely injured, splattered in green ectoplasm. It dripped over Phantom’s side, staining the wall of the GAV that he leaned against. One hand was pressed loosely against his side, but the ghost’s eyes were closed, and he hadn’t responded to her tripping over him, either. Passed out? But that wasn’t possible, was it?

She bit her lip. The ghost outside was a bigger threat. Maddie knew she had to focus on that one, first. Phantom was clearly in no state to leave, but…

Her hand touched the familiar metal curve of a Fenton Thermos.

Without another thought, she uncapped the device. Phantom was dragged in without another movement, not even stirring in the slightest. This was a perfect opportunity to study him, and the Thermos would preserve him until the right time.

With that settled, Maddie turned to grab a gun. Jack needed her. Phantom would come later.

---

“Uh, Maddie?” Jack’s voice rang from the back of the car, and she paused. “Why is there ectoplasm splattered all over the inside of the GAV?”

She blinked for a moment before realization struck. “It’s Phantom!” she yelled back, already turning to walk back. “I found him seriously injured and passed out in the back of the van, but we had to go deal with that attacking ghost.”

Now next to her husband, she clambered inside. The Thermos was still where she had left it, and she grabbed it. Let’s not get that one confused with the others. “I caught him in this Thermos. Not sure how bad his injuries really are, but this way he would be stable until we could look at him.”

“Good thinking!” Jack grinned, climbing into the GAV next to her to stow their weapons. “Passed out, though?”

“He didn’t move, not even when I tripped on him.” She frowned at the Thermos in her hand. “It was… strange. He was completely unresponsive, but he was still together. Leaking ectoplasm, but only from his injuries. Not destabilized.”

“Odd,” her husband agreed, clicking the last gun into its place. “I guess we have our work cut out for us!”

“Indeed.” She turned the Thermos, slowly, gazing at the meter in its side. It was startlingly full, a measure not just of mass but also of a ghost’s strength. Considering that Phantom was the only one in the Thermos… “Why don’t you drive us back, honey?”

His excitement would turn him in an even more reckless driver than usual, she guessed, but… she didn’t want to risk Phantom escaping.

Briefly, she considered clipping the Thermos onto her belt, but no. It felt safer in her hands, even as she had to take one off of the device to climb into the passenger’s seat of the GAV.

Their drive back home was… well. It was certainly fast.

Before she knew it, Maddie was clambering out of the GAV with one hand, the Thermos clenched in her other. “I’ll go prep the lab. Jack, bring in the spent weaponry and the other ghost, please?”

“Gotcha!” He bounded away to the back of the GAV while Maddie walked to their front door, quickly unlocking it. The house was empty inside—Danny was off with his friends, and Jazz away to the library—but that had become rather common these days.

At least she wouldn’t have to worry about either of them protesting their capture of Phantom. She didn’t understand it, the youth’s insistence that the ghost was good, but she certainly didn’t understand how her own children had fallen for Phantom’s tricks.

Well, it would be a problem no longer. Once she and Jack were done with their studies of Phantom, the ghost would no longer trick anybody.

Maddie left the Thermos on one of the mostly empty tables, quickly putting away the few things that were on it. She rolled a trolley over, paused. Rolled her eyes and emptied that, too.

By the time Jack had made it downstairs, their used weaponry stacked in a pile to the side—she made a quick mental note to make sure those were taken care of later—Maddie had finished preparing the table and the trolley. She had stalled out a large assortment of tools they might want or need for their inspection of Phantom.

There were no straps on the table—they had removed them due to the diversity in ghosts’ bodies—but she didn’t think they would need them, anyway. Phantom had been so weakened… He hadn’t even fought back when she’d tripped over him, when she’d captured him.

“Ready, Jack?” she asked, picking up the Thermos again. “We won’t know how he’ll act.”

“Ready,” her husband confirmed. He flexed his fingers, the metal ghost-proof gauntlets shifting with the movement. “I’ll hold him if he tries to escape.”

Maddie nodded, twisting the cap off of the Thermos. With a whir, it unloaded its contents, spitting Phantom onto the table.

The ghost groaned as he hit the surface, his limbs twitching slightly. He seemed slightly more awake than in the GAV, but not much. Didn’t even try to leave the table.

Ectoplasm gushed from several injuries all over Phantom’s body, the liquid spilling onto the table already.

“Not looking good, Phantom,” Jack commented, disengaging the gauntlets. Clearly they wouldn’t need them to restrain Phantom.

Phantom groaned again, a warble of sound that might’ve been intended as an answer. Definitely awake, then, but in poor condition.

She moved to roll him onto his back. Frowned at the deep slice in his side, right where the ribs would be on a human. The inside of the injury glimmered with fresh ectoplasm but it didn’t spill, not nearly as freely as she would’ve expected. No, the surface-level ectoplasm seemed… almost crystallized, a solid instead of a liquid.

Frowning, with one hand bracing Phantom, she reached in. The ectoplasm certainly felt solid under her probing finger.

Phantom groaned again, his left arm shifting slightly, like a weak attempt at batting her away.

“He seems to have some form of ectoplasmic bones,” she reported to Jack, finally rolling Phantom over all the way. The ghost twitched, his left hand wandering back to the slice. His eyes, he kept closed. “But his injuries are severe. He might destabilize before we finish our research.”

“That’d be a waste.” Jack frowned at the ghost on their table, too. “We’ll have to stabilize him. This is the first ghost with those kind of traits we’ve seen. We can’t risk losing him.”

That, at least, they agreed on. “We’ll need to close the injuries, stop him from losing too much ectoplasm. Can you get a needle and thread?” She looked back at Phantom, his complexion seeming to pale. “Fishing line if you can find it, but normal thread might be enough to tide him over for now.”

Phantom muttered something again, a whining noise that didn’t quite make it to words. It was odd. Maddie had been sure the ghost always spoke in perfect English, yet he seemed to be conversing in something else now. She was almost tempted to consider it a ghostly language of sorts, but why would such a thing exist? Ghosts weren’t intelligent enough for a society, let alone a language that drove such a thing.

“I found some fishing line, but not nearly enough for all his injuries.” Jack handed her the first aid kit, a sterile needle and clean thread, as well as a ball of tangled phase-proof wire. “… and I’ll have to untangle it first,” he added on, sheepishly.

“We’ll have to risk the normal thread.” She reached for the needle, then paused. Looked at Phantom. “It… His structure seems far more complicated than that of other ghosts. Should we see if he has a layer of skin underneath the jumpsuit? Stitching the two together might cause harm.”

Jack nodded, already grabbing Phantom’s right hand—the one not pressed against an injury. He hooked his fingers underneath the edge of Phantom’s white glove, carefully peeling it off.

As she had half expected, the glove came off entirely, damaged but not destabilizing even when removed from the ghost it belonged to. And underneath it, Phantom’s hand was… almost normal. The skin was the same cool tone as his face, a thousand small details she never would’ve expected a ghost to have, especially on a surface not usually exposed to sight.

“Let’s strip the rest, too,” Jack said, dropping the glove next to Phantom’s side. He reached for Phantom’s left hand, but hesitated. “The jumpsuit, at least. But, Maddie, what detail.”

“He’s unlike every other ghost we’ve tested so far,” she agreed. From this close, she could see the exquisite detail in Phantom’s clothing, too. A zipper hidden in the edge of his collar, which she tugged down to unzip the front of his suit. “And you couldn’t even tell from the way he acted! I wonder how many more are like this? Is it related to their strength?”

Phantom’s jumpsuit peeled apart to reveal a pale chest. Several smaller cuts littered his front, previously unnoticed due to the splatters of ectoplasm. The structure of it was, again, oddly detailed and human like.

Jack whistled, low. “What a scar, Mads! I wonder if it’s related to his death?”

“Why would he have scars of an event he doesn’t remember?” She zipped the jumpsuit down to his belt, working his right arm out of the sleeve. “I’d consider it more likely that it’s an old injury he got in a ghost fight. Maybe he kept it for intimidation purposes, to show that he won from a ghost with a certain level of power.”

“But then, why not show it off?” Jack asked, helping her by lifting Phantom up slightly. The ghost groaned, quietly, but didn’t try to stop them. “Why hide it under his suit?”

“He might’ve changed his appearance to appear more tame towards Amity Park’s citizens.” She rolled the right side of the jumpsuit down to Phantom’s hips, but that left the other side. “Jack, why don’t you keep pressure on that cut, and I’ll take off the rest of the jumpsuit?”

Her husband nodded, bustling over to press his hands against Phantom’s side. The ghost hissed, a strange warble and click to the sound, like a layer of audible static. His left hand batted at Jack’s hand, weakly, but it stilled quickly. The ghost went limp against the table.

“Did he pass out?” Jack asked, leaning over Phantom without taking his hands off of the injury. “Well, that’ll make our job easier, at least.”

She hummed as she peeled off Phantom’s left glove, slick with ectoplasm. His hand was sturdier than she would’ve expected of a ghost, a clear sign that his bone-like constructions extended into his hands. The skin was… surprisingly human-like, too cool but not as icy cold as ghosts usually were.

Maddie dropped the glove with the one already on the table, turning to lay down Phantom’s hand, when she noticed its appearance.

“Jack, look.” She held up the hand, her fingers tracing the extensive scarring. Its texture differed from the rest of the skin, rough and ragged like an actual scar. It seemed to originate in the palm, branching outwards from there, all the way down his wrist and into the cuff of his jumpsuit. It glowed, faintly, brightest at the palm. “Do you think it’s the same scar as on his chest?”

“Only one way to find out, huh?” Jack twisted his head to nod at Phantom’s face. “He has some kind of bruising on his throat, somehow. Green instead of purple, but you can’t mistake that kind of splotching.”

“At least we won’t have to worry about a crushed windpipe.” She twisted his arm out of the sleeve, feeling the bones in his shoulder shift with the movement. Definitely a human-like skeleton. How odd. “There we go. Definitely one large electrical scar, with the extremes in the palm of his hand and on his chest.”

Jack shifted his hands, allowing her to push the jumpsuit down to Phantom’s hips entirely. Now, they could see the ragged edges of the injury, the way it had torn Phantom’s… skin, for lack of better word, apart.

“Whoever, or whatever, he fought must’ve been something vicious,” Jack commented. Green ectoplasm continued to bubble up around his black gloves.

“Loathe as I am to say it, it was a good thing that Phantom dealt with it.” She looked over Phantom’s other injuries, but none seemed as threatening as the one on his side. “Something like this would’ve killed a human almost instantly.”

She picked up the needle, taking it out of its packaging. Using sterile tools might not be necessary, but Phantom was already defying what they knew of ghosts. Better not risk it.

“He must’ve caught it, at least,” Jack said as she threaded the needle. “If he was in the back of our GAV, the fight must’ve ended. Not sure where the Thermos went, though.”

Maddie gestured, and Jack shifted, pinching the injury closed instead of covering it up. She stuck the needle through, swiftly, but Phantom didn’t move.

“Definitely passed out,” she commented, moving to pinch the injury closed herself. “I’ve got this, Jack. Can you go look over the rest of his injuries?”

“Well, he has those bruises on his neck.” Jack paused, placing his fingers against the bare throat. “They seem… finger-like? Like someone tried to strangle him. A ghost my size, maybe?”

She threaded the needle through Phantom’s side again. “But why try to choke him out? That’d do nothing to him, he’s a ghost!”

“Maybe they were trying to snap his neck, instead?” Jack made an uncertain noise, moving up to Phantom’s head. “If he has something like bones, they gotta serve some purpose, right? So maybe breaking his spine would’ve disabled him, like with a human?”

“But as a ghost, his most important part is the core in his chest, not the brain.” She was making steady progress on Phantom’s side. The ghost still hadn’t stirred. He’d better not destabilize, not after all the effort they put into preserving him. “Unless he needs his head for some kind of offensive power, snapping his neck wouldn’t have done them any good.”

“There might not be any logic behind it, anyway,” Jack pointed out. “We’re talking about ghosts, after all. Maybe this wasn’t an attempt at strangling at all, but just the most convenient part for the other ghost to grab.”

He paused, gently probing Phantom’s head. “He definitely has some sort of skull, too. Very human-like, barely any flesh—or ectoplasm—over it. A cut on his temple, kind of deep. Looks like it bled badly, but it’s got some sort of crust over it, now.”

“Normal ectoplasm doesn’t crust… But normal ectoplasm also doesn’t form bone-like structures.” Halfway through the slice on his sides. The ribs still glinted crystalline against a backdrop of green so dark it appeared black. “No other injuries on his head?”

“None that I can see.” Jack hesitated, then ran his fingers through Phantom’s hair. The black of his gloves contrasted starkly against the white of Phantom’s hair. “There’s some dried ectoplasm in here, but I think it all came from that cut on his temple.”

“That’s good, at least. I’m not sure how his head injuries would compare to a human’s.” A few more stitches went into Phantom’s side. “None of the cuts on his chest seemed severe when I checked them out earlier, and I don’t think he has any on his arms, either.”

Jack hummed, walking past her to the other end of the table. “I’ll check out his legs, then.”

As she continued to stitch of Phantom’s side, Jack’s humming paused. His hands wrapped around Phantom’s left leg, gently probing the limb.

“I… think he has a broken leg,” Jack said, abruptly. “It feels like the bone-like structure doesn’t line up right. It’s not that way on the other leg.”

“We might have to set it, then.” Another stitch as she thought it over. “If his flesh injuries heal, his bones probably do as well. He probably doesn’t need his legs to walk, but having the bone grow wrong might stop him from forming his spectral tail.”

She paused, her hands stilling. “How does he form a spectral tail if he has bones?”

“I…” Jack halted too. “I honestly don’t know. He doesn’t move that thing like there’s any bones in it.”

“Maybe…” She continued her work again, pulling the needle through Phantom’s false flesh. “Maybe he can form and dissolve the crystal structures by will? To form bones and then make them go away when they’re a hindrance?”

“In which case we wouldn’t need to set his leg, because he can just reform it properly,” Jack pointed out. It was quiet for a moment as he, presumably, felt out the bones. “It feels like a clean break, at least. We can try waiting it out and offer him a splint if he needs it.”

“That might work.” She finished another stitch, looking over her work. Tied off the thread. “There, this should keep him stable for now. Let’s hope he doesn’t immediately rip it or phase it out when he wakes up.”

Which was baffling her, still. Ghosts don’t pass out; they don’t black out or sleep or go unconscious in any way. Even if Phantom had bones of some sort, what benefit could passing out give him?

“I’ll get a bucket and some cloth.” Jack had wandered off already, having finished his inspection. “We better clean all that ectoplasm off of him, make sure he’s not hiding anything more severe.”

She nodded, placing the needle back in its wrapper. It would have to be thrown out and replaced later; there was no sterilizing a needle so heavily stained with ectoplasm. Speaking of which…

Maddie stripped off her gloves, dropping them on a nearby table, and wandered over to the lab’s closet. It always paid to have a few jumpsuits on hand. One of the bins contained spare gloves, and she quickly pulled a clean pair on.

“I got the stuff!” Jack announced, bustling down the stairs. He had replaced his gloves with clean ones too, at some point. Hopefully before he left the lab and smeared ectoplasm on everything.

“Let’s get him cleaned up, then.” She took one of the cloths out of the water—warm, but not too hot—and pressed it against Phantom’s chest. The ghost made a soft noise, a staticky whine, his fingers twitching.

No further movement came.

They carefully cleaned the ectoplasm off of Phantom’s body; his scars seemed to glow even brighter when they were wet. As Jack finished cleaning off Phantom’s torso, Maddie moved over to his head.

Phantom still had his eyes closed, but they were no longer clenched as tightly. Thick globs of ectoplasm trailed down the side of his face, smeared through his hair.

Gently, she pressed the cloth against his head, just underneath the injury. If it had scabbed over, she didn’t want to reopen it. Phantom moaned, his eyes moving underneath the lids.

It wasn’t a sound, not a human one, but… Maddie could’ve sworn that Phantom called her ‘Mom’.

“Those noises are strange, aren’t they, Jack?” she asked, trying to distract herself from the not-word. Ghosts didn’t do parents; the concept of a mother should be completely foreign to Phantom. “I’ve never heard him speak anything but perfect English.”

“They’re so inhuman!” he agreed, as excited as ever. “The warbling, the almost static sound of them! It must be something lower than true speech, for Phantom to fall back into it when injured.”

Jack tapped on Phantom’s chest, right in the center of the glowing scar. “It’s almost like it comes from his core, sometimes, instead of his mouth. Fascinating, isn’t it?”

“But why would ghosts have a basal language of their own?” She rubbed the ectoplasm stains off of Phantom’s cheek, the ghost’s nose twitching when she brushed too close past it. For just a brief moment, she could see green gums, sharp teeth. “They’re not sentient, not even like animals. Right? They would have no need to communicate with each other.”

“Well, if they can learn human languages, I don’t see why they couldn’t have their own.” He shrugged, coming closer to Phantom’s head as well. “They clearly have some form of intelligence, even if it’s limited. They can conceptualize and plan, after all.”

He lifted Phantom’s head, and she started cleaning the ectoplasm out of the ghost’s hair. It was odd, the texture of it just off. A little too slick, too smooth. Not heavy enough, as it seemed to stir even when neither of them touched it.

“I suppose you’re right,” she eventually said. Phantom’s head laid limply in Jack’s hand, the other braced under the ghost’s shoulders. “They must go out of their way to avoid using it around humans, then. I can’t think of a single ghost using it before, not even the animals.”

“It’s definitely weird,” Jack agreed. “And, I was thinking… It doesn’t seem the echo the same way as their voices either, does it?”

She paused, the wet cloth pressed against Phantom’s head. No. No, it certainly hadn’t. “Huh.”

“Maybe they do always speak in it,” Jack continued. “Maybe they just layer actual speech on top of it, usually. Maybe that’s what causes the echo? A voice from their core, for ghosts, and a voice from their throat?”

“I suppose it might be possible.” The clumps of green had mostly been washed out of Phantom’s hair, now, leaving just faint green stains. “I think this is as good as we’ll get it, Jack.”

He nodded, lowering Phantom’s head back onto the table. The ghost stirred again, a little, eyelids clenching and relaxing again. It sniffled, oddly enough, face contorting.

Maddie dropped the cloth back into the bucket of water. They’d definitely need to get rid of all that, too. Ugh. The disadvantages of working with ectoplasm.

Phantom warbled something again. His fingers twitched against the surface of the table.

“Look who’s waking up!” Jack grinned at her, from Phantom’s other side. “About time, Phantom!”

The ghost jerked, suddenly, like a full-body flinch. He hissed, a sound filled with static and pain.

And then he was sitting up, fingers clawing against the surface of the table.

“No you don’t!” she told him, pressing a hand against his chest. Pushed him back against the table. “You’re not tearing those stitches I just put into you.”

His eyes moved to stare at her, the green dull and glassy compared to their usual brightness. He frowned, warbling something at her.

‘why’ her mind told her it meant.

“Down, Phantom.” She pressed harder, and he collapsed back against the table. There was more tension in his body, now. In his false muscles.

Or were they false?

“We found you passed out in the GAV,” Jack explained, tone dropping into something comforting. “You looked close to destabilizing.”

Phantom’s eyes seemed to sharpen, finally, as they darted from her to Jack and back. His left hand wandered to his side.

“Don’t mess with those stitches,” she told him, sharply. He flinched, but dropped the hand. “We didn’t clean you up just so you can wreck all our hard work, you know?”

He licked his lips, tongue vivid green against his pale skin. “Why?” he croaked out, layered so thickly in static she could barely make out the word.

“Why?” she repeated, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Well, you were too interesting a subject to pass up, of course. None of the ghosts we’ve studied so far had bodies as complex as yours. What a waste it would be, to let you melt away like that!”

Phantom pressed flatter against the table. His hands wandered, like he was looking for something. “Now what?”

“Well, there’s no straps on this table, if that’s what you’re looking for,” Jack said, looking down at Phantom. The ghost stilled immediately. Huh. Odd. Why would he know to look for those? “For now, you appear weakened enough that there’s no risk of your escape, but you’re awake enough to answer some questions. Mads?”

“Sounds like a good start,” she agreed. This was probably the most pliable they would get Phantom. “Let’s start easy, shall we? Your leg is broken. Lower left. Do you want a splint for that?”

“I…” Phantom blinked, apparently caught off-guard by her question. “Um. I think I’ll be okay.”

She nodded, watching him carefully. His eyes seemed to brighten, slowly, becoming greener and greener by the second. Even his complexion seemed to gain some color back.

“Did you catch the ghost who roughed you up so badly?” Jack asked, crouching a little so he didn’t tower over Phantom as badly. “Wouldn’t want them to try the same on any humans, after all.”

“No, he’s… He’s not a concern anymore.” Phantom tried to push himself up again, but paused when she glared at him. “He’s… He only has it out for me. Doesn’t really care about the humans.”

Well, that was good, at least. “Is there any risk of him breaking in to chase you?”

“No, I took care of it.” Phantom shook his head, slowly, wobbling a little. “He needs his suit to be a real threat, and I destroyed that.”

A ghost wearing a suit? Something mechanical, then. Maybe like that annoying electric one, which controlled technology, but he didn’t seem all that interested in Phantom.

Must be an unknown ghost. That was… worrisome. The possibility that there was such a dangerous ghost out there that they knew nothing about, running loose in Amity Park.

Phantom seemed uncomfortable, pinned down flat against the table. She supposed that she and Jack were kind of looming over him.

“You can sit up, if you want, but be careful.” She tried to ease her posture, to soften her glare. Phantom was just a ghost, yes, but he was voluntarily giving them information. No point in shutting him down so soon.

The ghost nodded, sliding his hands underneath himself. Slowly, he pushed himself up. Cautiously. His face strained as he did so, briefly, hand sliding closer to the stitches in his side.

Curious. A pain reaction. Could be faked, of course, but it seemed… it seemed genuine. The barely-there hiss of static through his clenched teeth, layered over an almost physical sense of pain.

Maybe that was Phantom’s big trick all along. The ability to make others feel emotions. To somehow convey emotions and feelings that he, himself, did not feel.

“Do you want painkillers for that?” Jack asked, also watching the ghost grimace, hands hovering over the stitches. “Or, uh… Some ghost equivalent?”

Phantom’s eyes slid back to Jack, then Maddie, and back to Jack. “I… If you’ve got some. I need more than a human, though.”

“You want some water to help that go down?” Jack grabbed the first aid kit, digging through its contents for the painkillers. “Or food?”

“Um. Water would be nice. Food…” The oddly mundane sound of a growling stomach. Phantom flushed bright green. “I’d like food, yeah. Um. Thanks.”

Jack handed her the painkillers, already turning towards the stairs. “I’ll be right back with a glass and something to eat. Maddie, you figure out how much to give him.”

She turned the bottle in her hand, searching for the instructions. How did Phantom compare to a human? Was his metabolizing faster? Stronger? Did his ectoplasm somehow form organs, as well as bones? Some sort of non-crystallized solid?

“Um. I probably know how much I’ll need if you tell me what kind that is,” Phantom said, interrupting her train of thought. Her eyes snapped from the bottle to him. His shoulders were drawn up, tense.

“What?” she asked, still working through the sentence. “Oh, it’s… paracetamol. We don’t usually need painkillers for this sort of stuff.”

He nodded understandingly, and Maddie wondered how much of it he really did understand. His structure was definitely more complicated than that of most ghosts. He had bones, musculature, apparently even organs. Was it really that far-fetched to think that he might have something like nerves, too? That he might feel pain, or at least understand it?

“The teen portion, but up it by half, then.” He opened his hand, and only then seemed to realize that he wasn’t wearing his gloves, because he froze up. Stared down at his bare, heavily scarred hand. “Wh— Why am I not wearing my jumpsuit anymore?”

“We had to take it off to check your injuries.” She uncapped the bottle of painkillers, keeping Phantom in her peripherals. “And you seemed to have a structure underneath the jumpsuit, unlike most ghosts. We didn’t want to risk damage by sewing the two together.”

Phantom hummed at that. “I… thanks. I don’t think that that’d be good, yeah.”

“Well, it would be a shame to let you destabilize just like that, wouldn’t it?” She shook out a few pills into his hand. This was just… a study. An ordinary ghost wouldn’t have any desire for painkillers, and it definitely wouldn’t be able to process them. But would Phantom be any different?

“Yeah…” He made a face, hand curling closed around the painkillers like she might take them away again. “Well, thanks anyway, I suppose.”

Jack’s thudding footsteps sounded, and he appeared down the stairs. In one hand, he held a glass of water. In the other, a plate with a few sandwiches. “Sorry, we didn’t have anything quicker.”

He walked up closer, handing the glass to Phantom first. The ghost took it in his empty hand, fingers carefully wrapping around it, slick with condensation.

“Thanks.” The ghost raised the hand with pills to his mouth first, dropping them all in before chasing them with a big gulp of water. He made a face, following it with several smaller sips of water. “Eugh. That stuff never tastes good, does it?”

“It’s not supposed to taste good,” she pointed out, quirking an eyebrow. “You realize that, right?”

“Of course I do, I’m not an idiot.” He leaned backwards slightly, emptying the rest of the glass in one go. “Doesn’t mean I gotta like it.”

He handed the glass back to Jack, exchanging it for one of the sandwiches. Didn’t even try to grab the whole plate.

“Are you sure you don’t want more?” Jack asked, gesturing the plate at Phantom. “Those are some serious injuries to heal from.”

“Yeah, I guess, but…” Phantom shrugged, taking another bite of the sandwich before continuing. “It’s getting late. Wouldn’t want to ruin my appetite.”

Maddie could feel her eyebrow raising. “Dinner plans, Phantom?”

“I… uh.” His shoulders came up, suddenly, as he seemed to remember where he was. “Kinda, yeah…”

He took another bite of the sandwich, dropping his eyes down to his loosely folded legs.

Phantom looked like a scolded kid. It was the only thing she could think off. The way he curled up on himself, the tension in his shoulders. It just reminded her so, so much of Danny, whenever she scolded him.

Her heart stuttered in her chest, and she cursed herself. She couldn’t feel sorry for him. He was just a ghost! He was— he was doing it on purpose, to make her feel bad! To make them let him go!

The ghost continued eating in complete silence. His hair hung down over his face, barely moving anymore. The lines of his shoulders taught.

“Look, Phantom…” She paused, looking over at Jack. He shrugged back, looking equally unsure of himself. “We’re ghost hunters. We can’t just… let a ghost go.”

“Especially not one as fascinating as I am?” he sneered back, bitterly. He looked up, suddenly, venomous green meeting her eyes. “That’s all I am in the end, huh? No matter how hard I try, no matter how much I let myself get hurt just so no one else has to! In the end I’m just some ghost, to cut up and experiment on!”

She flinched back, involuntarily. The glow around his body, barely visible before, had flared out with his temper.

“It’s not like that,” Jack tried, feebly.

“No?” Phantom hissed back, the warble of static layered heavily over his voice once more. “Then what is this, huh?”

“We’re helping you.” She straightened her back, her fists balling automatically. “We’ve stitched you up, given you painkillers, fed you.”

“Because you didn’t want to lose me,” he countered. His lips curled, showing her once more those green gums and vicious teeth. Fangs. He’d had fangs all along, and she had never noticed until he bared them at her. “Because I was such a precious study object! And the painkillers, the food—”

He flung out an arm. “I bet that all that was just a test, to see if I was faking any of it! Could I really process food? Do painkillers really work on me? Wow!”

“Would you have preferred it if we hadn’t done any of that?” she snapped back. “That we’d left you smearing ectoplasm all over the place until you destabilized?”

“Doing the right thing for the wrong reason doesn’t make it good!” His glow flickered wildly, coalescing and twirling like flames. His eyes burned bright like a jack-’o-lantern’s. “Just because you helped me doesn’t make you the better person!”

“You are the one who broke into our vehicle.” She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Getting into a shouting match would accomplish nothing. “You passed out in the back of the Ghost Assault Vehicle.”

That seemed to take all the wind out of his sails. Phantom spluttered, but his glow dimmed significantly already. “I— That’s not what we were talking about!”

“You practically served yourself up to us,” she continued, her voice flat. “What else did you expect, a heavily injured ghost unconscious in the vehicle of ghost hunters?”

His shoulders came up again, Phantom halfway through curling up in a ball. He muttered venomously, some ghost-speak noise again.

And, again, Maddie somehow understood exactly what he said.

‘parents,’ he had hissed, from the very center of his being. An almost sardonic tone to it, somehow.

“Look, Phantom,” Jack said, picking up Maddie’s slack. “We’re ghost hunters. Supposedly, so are you. We found a potentially dangerous ghost in our vehicle without our knowledge, and we made the decision to patch you up. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, what else would you have wanted us to do? What would you have done, in this situation?”

“I…” Phantom sighed, blowing the hair out of his face. “I would’ve patched them up, too. But I definitely wouldn’t have told them that I saved them just because they were so fascinating, because I wanted nothing more than to experiment on them.”

“Would you have rather had us lie to you?” Jack asked, bluntly. “Would you rather have had us tell you that we patched you up out of the goodness of our hearts?”

“I… no.” Phantom shook his head, wrapped his arms around his bare chest. The picture of uncertainty. “No, because I know you would’ve been lying. You’ve been hunting ghosts for research for ages. Me, especially. There’s no way you would’ve patched me up out of kindness.”

“So then what do you want from us?” Maddie asked, shoving her thoughts to the back of her mind for now. “You didn’t want us to let you dissipate in our van. You didn’t want us to lie about why we helped you, but you don’t want us to tell you truth about that, either. What option does that leave?”

Phantom gritted his teeth, his glow suddenly brightening and immediately dimming again. “I don’t know! I just— Can’t you just be nice! Couldn’t you just fix me up out of the goodness of your hearts and mean it?!”

His fingers clawed in his hair as he curled even further into a ball, only the broken leg staying in its place. His shoulders were taught with tension, shaking lightly.

It sounded like… like he was sniffling.

Crying?

She grimaced, turning to look at Jack. He, too, seemed completely thrown off by the display.

It was just…

It was so genuine.

The shaking of the shoulders, the soft sounds of muffled crying, the barely visible glint of tears, the hitch in his breath, the soft keening of his core.

The hitch of his breath?

Hesitantly, Jack reached out. Placed one of his hands on Phantom’s shoulders—so big it almost covered the entire area. “Shh, kiddo.”

Phantom shook harder, but didn’t try to throw off Jack’s hand. The hitching of his breath was clearly audible now.

And Maddie…

Maddie didn’t know what to do. She knew how to comfort kids, and her heart clenched, demanded she help this teen, too. This kid that reminded her so much of her Danny.

But she didn’t know what to do. Phantom was supposed to be just another ghost. An ectoplasmic abomination that had lied and faked its way into everyone’s hearts.

Not this.

Not a teen, warbling “mom” at a stranger who cleaned his wounds. Not a teen who had hidden in their car when he’d gotten too injured to get away, searching for something that reminded him of his parents. For someone who’d keep him safe like his parents would’ve, should’ve.

“Oh, Phantom,” she said, threading her fingers through his hair. It was soft, still wet where she’d cleaned it. Still stained faintly green from his own ectoplasm. “Oh, honey… Why have you hidden this for so long? You are so… so human.”

He keened again, shaking harder under their hands. And in the sound, she heard ‘love acceptance warmth caring’ and ‘not me not mine not for ghosts’.

And for once, Maddie Fenton ignored her curiosity to focus on the crying ghost in their lab.

“Shh,” she told him, soothingly combing her fingers through his messy hair. “It’ll be alright, Phantom. We… It was our mistake. We were wrong.”

“We were so wrong,” Jack chimed in, rubbing circles on Phantom’s back. “We… You’re just a kid. How long have you been dead, kiddo? How old are you really?”

Phantom sniffled, and, voice warbling with emotion, said, “Two years. I— Sixteen.”

“Oh, sweetie.” He was so human, so young. He could’ve been her own son. “We’ve been so wrong. We never should’ve shot at you, never should’ve threatened you.”

“We let our assumptions lead us,” Jack agreed, quiet. Soft. “Phantom, we’re so sorry. Hey, shh. It’ll be alright.”

The ghost, so human and yet not, shook his head. Only slightly, just enough that Maddie’s hand didn’t dislodge.

“We’ll make it alright,” Maddie promised him, instead. Fierce, sharp. Determined. “Let us make it up, Phantom. Let us pay for our mistakes.”

“Don’t wanna,” he mumbled back, so quiet she could barely hear him. “Lemme leave.”

“Of course you can,” Jack assured him, still rubbing circles on Phantom’s back. “We won’t stop you, kiddo. We just want you to be safe.”

Phantom sniffled again. Slowly turned his head, until a single vivid green eye looked up at Maddie.

It was ringed with red, green-tinted tears still tracking down over his cheek.

“Do you?” he asked. He sounded… shattered. The echo of ghost-speak behind his voice wavered like glass in a storm.

“You’re just some kid in way over your head.” Maddie let her hand drop from his head, instead trying to convey her genuineness through her gaze. “You’re… barely a teenager. No one can—no one should—blame you for any of the damages you’ve caused, trying to help.”

“You’ve tried so hard, despite your death,” Jack chimed in, his hand stilling too. “You’ve died, and you’re still so good.”

“You’re so good, Phantom. I wish you were one of ours.” Maddie reached forward, slowly, wiping the tears off of his cheek. “If you ever need us, for anything, please don’t hesitate to come by.”

“I—” Phantom’s voice crackled, and he sniffled again. Wiped his own hand past the other eye. “I don’t— I can’t—”

“Please just promise us that.” Jack let his hand slip off of Phantom’s back, placing it on the edge of the table instead. He, too, stared pleadingly at Phantom. “We won’t force you to do anything, kiddo, we’re just asking. Let us help.”

Maddie slid the stained gloves over towards Phantom. “Phantom, we obviously remind you of your parents.”

The ghost hunched up again, slightly. Green spread over his cheeks like a blush. She pushed on. “You called me Mom when I cleaned off your wounds. You hid in the GAV because you felt safe in it, because it reminded you of your parents. They’re obviously not here, because you’ve died or because they’ve died or because of some combination of those, but you’re still allowed to want that comfort. And we are willing to give you that. It’s the least we can do, to repay what we’ve done to you, what we’ve threatened you with.”

“I—” His breath hitched again. “I don’t… I’ll keep it in mind.”

Well, she supposed they could hardly push for more. She didn’t think she’d be so open to accepting help from them either, if she’d been in Phantom’s place.

“Please do,” she told him instead. Patted him on the right knee. “Whatever it is, whatever you’re struggling with. You’re always welcome at our place. Okay?”

“Okay,” he whispered back. He wiped over his face again. “I gotta… I gotta get going.”

“Dinner plans, right?” She stepped backwards to give him some space. “You’d better eat well, young man.”

Phantom grunted, a noise vaguely underlined with acceptance. He stuck his arms through his sleeves, carefully pulling the jumpsuit back up over his upper body.

“And be careful with your injuries.” Jack handed Phantom the gloves, having apparently scooped them off of the table at some point. “Those stitches in your side will need some time to heal before you take them out, and your broken leg… Well, you’d know better than us how it heals, but still.”

“I know how to take care of myself,” Phantom grumbled back, pulling on his gloves. He grimaced at the left one, more green than white with his spilled ectoplasm. It had dried, crackling uncomfortably as he moved his fingers. “Despite the evidence of the contrary.”

He pushed himself off of the table, suddenly. Maddie jerked forward automatically, but Phantom hovered above the ground, his leg held limply.

The ghost raised further up, until he floated at their eye level. “I… Thanks. For helping me. And… the apologies, I guess.”

“It was the least we could do,” she assured him, crossing her arms loosely. “Please, Phantom, come to us if you need anything.”

“I’ll… keep it in mind.” He shimmered, turning transparent. Then, suddenly, he dove upwards, and then he was gone.

“Well…” Jack cleared his throat. “That… That happened.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, looking at the empty table. It’s surface was stained green with Phantom’s ectoplasm, a small puddle left where he’d bled the worst. “God, Jack. What have we done?”

“Something we’ve learned from. Something we won’t ever do again.” He looked up, meeting her eyes. “That’s all we can do, Mads. Make amends to the best of our abilities.”

She nodded, slowly. “We’d better get working on cleaning the lab. We’ll need to go through all our research on ghosts, strip it down to the base observations. Start over from scratch.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed a thumb over the edge of the stain on the table, absentmindedly. “But first, we should focus on our own kids, I think.”

Maddie paused. Turned to look at the clock. “Oh lord, you’re right. I’d better get started on dinner.”

“I’ll start on cleaning the lab.” Jack nodded at the stairs. “You go take care of the wonderful kids we already have, instead of worrying about Phantom.”

“Thanks, honey.” She pressed a kiss against his cheek, before turning to rush up the stairs.

He was right. They already had two wonderful kids. Worrying about Phantom would do them no good, not unless the ghost would accept their help.

The door to the kitchen swung open, and Maddie stared in the startled blue eyes of her son, the lingering sounds of the conversation she’d just cut short between him and his sister.

“Oh, kids, I’m so sorry. I’ll get started on dinner right away.”

“Something distracting in the lab?” Jazz asked, getting out of her chair. “Can I help?”

“If you could help me peel these potatoes, that’d be wonderful…” She passed a pan and a knife to Jazz. “And, yes, I suppose you could say as much.”

Danny laughed. She turned to look at him, at his cautious grin. “Must be something big.”

“Yeah,” she answered, watching him angle his head slightly. Letting his black hair slide down his face, parting just right for her to see a flash of dark red against pale skin. A scab on his temple, right where… right where Phantom had had a scab, too.

But… surely that couldn’t be?

No, it was just her mind playing things off.

Right?