#it’s hella long

[mairodia]

My addition to the Mikus of the world. Been feeling very bittersweet bc I am moving away soon to go to grad school on the east coast, so here is my send up of the LBC, Miku-style 🌴🩵 and yes she smokes weed

You can find a timelapse of this drawing at patreon.com/mairodia :)

[krysmcscience]

Call this the Whoopsie AU (it's barely an AU)

I mean. Narinder never explicitly SAID the Lamb would stay dead... :3c He probably should have been more specific. >:3c

Part Two:

Well. The Lamb tried, but...sorry, Nari, the crown hates you now. Shouldn't have been so quick to lend it out, I guess. :D

Aaaand Part Three:

'Isn't he just adorable?' -The Lamb, probably, while their followers smile and nod and internally scream at the brand new hellcat they now have to share living space with...

Anyway, nothing says 'Dead To Me' like following a person around to loudly remind them of how dead they are to you. Right? Right. Narinder's got this all figured out. <:]

[ahkaraii]

[returntosunder]

Ignore the fact that it’s not Christmas anymore

[zan0tix]

REALLY LONG DUMB COMIC. It was based on a thing i did with my bf and then became really long winded. 😭 The lesson we learn here today is that Its okay to be cringe autistic and gay 🙏 This is like half projection so maybee its kind of ooc but its for comedic effect and this isnt meant to be a foray into character writing :p (my time for that will come tho🫶)

[tangledinink]

[ original ] @probably-not-a-rutabaga @heckitall @spectralsleuth @radishhqueen @kinky-asexual @s0fti3w1tch @v-albion @beannary and anyone else who wants to play :3c

[hermit-frog]

[starburstsobsessions]

Part 2 of the AU is here, and it’s origin story + regular story! DON’T WORRY, I’ve got some explanations for all these sad dog images I just made you all look at 🙏

Part 1 kinda LOL. Honestly this is actually part 1

NEXT!

It’s the origin of them meeting- which comes with a price.

K9 Stone was critically injured, and has been abandoned by his handler. Once the dust settles and he remains with no one coming back for him, he wonders if the love and loyalty he put in was ever reciprocated. Did the pain he went through over being a dog lead him anywhere but his grave?

Morbid, sad, ikik. BUT, Cat Robotnik is here, and I’ve got a much more silly and fun one up next that I’m already almost done with 💕💕💕

EXTRA EXTRA INFO, is that Stone is a Sable coat German Shepherd! These dogs are bred to WORK, and work they DO. Cat robotnik isn’t a real cat color, he just looks cute to me LMAO. Secret too- but he’s going bald later >:)

image courtesy of google this one isn’t mine 🙏 you can look them up too I mean

Military dogs, while cool to look at, inherently make me a little sad. Obviously a lot of them live full lives and are happy to work, and a lot of them don’t have bad handlers and owners- they’re still stuck in an expectation of violence and stress that can get them killed, and the tactics used for training many of them sometimes makes me upset. Not gonna just yap about stories I’ve heard though, my own GSD is just a pet I do my best to keep safe, and she hates cops LMAO. She’s a BEAST.

AND, Stone dog will be happy and healthy very soon, don’t worry 💕

[swordy-da-goat]

Here’s my DnD character, Milk Bucket, a human skeleton artificer (battlesmith) whose steel defender is a 4-4-0 Standard Gauge Forney. A steam locomotive engineer cursed into a skeleton and craves for any calcium high foods (like milk).

The best character I have ever made.

Edit: The loco got the wheel configuration updated.

[elefishwrites]

poly twisted! angrybeauty (shrimpo x glisten) x reader :3

:0 this fish just got his first poly request!! let's go!

shrimpo's got a really great twisted design, glisten too! i just love the way twisted shrimpo moves it's really creepy

i enjoy running circles around glisten significantly more than that shrimp though... pebble things ☆

"despite everything..." ★ twisted angrybeauty x GN reader hcs

pairing ❥ twisted shrimpo x reader x twisted glisten

relationship ❥ romantic

reader's gender is not mentioned!

dividers made by @/saradika-graphics ⊹₊⟡⋆

♡ How did you- How did you manage this??

♡ Two of the most volatile twisteds, and you're all in a relationship with each other-?!!

♡ Well, either way, you're in it now! Have fun!

♡ Shrimpo's basically a guard dog. He's very protective and will literally growl at anything he percieves as a threat

♡ Which is... A lot of things. He's somehow gotten even more angry because of being turned, and it's resulted in a very thin line between friend and foe for him.

♡ He will and has attacked things that aren't even alive, purely because they looked threatening.

♡ You and Glisten end up having to calm him down a lot...

♡ Which is a feat all its own, because the poor shrimp is almost always enraged thanks to how the ichor's corrupted his mind

♡ Both of them are glued to your side pretty much constantly. In Shrimpo's case, it's because he wants to protect you, and in Glisten's case, he's afraid you won't come back if he lets you out of his sight.

♡ Speaking of, you have to reassure Glisten a lot. He's very insecure about his current state, and there's a constant fear in the back of his mind that you, or worse, both you and Shrimpo will get tired of him and try to leave.

♡ Shrimpo was cuddly before being turned, and even more so now. The ichor's made him a bit more prone towards his base instincts, so there's none of the embarassment that would've stopped him before. He's the same touch-starved shrimp he's always been, despite everything.

♡ Glisten's also physically affectionate, but in the sense of just wanting to be near you and hold hands as you walk together. Being able to touch you and know you're there with him is comforting.

♡ Which sometimes ends up in cuddle piles where you're all snuggled up together in some isolated corner away from everything, away from the machines, away from any other twisteds on the floor...

♡ Glisten loves it. It makes him feel secure, which is rare for him. It's also a chance to see Shrimpo completely pacified for once, which is rare as well.

♡ ...There's ichor all over you. It'd be easy to mistake you for a twisted if it weren't for your eyes still being normal. Both of them have large patches of ichor on them that leak everywhere and get on you whenever you're in close proximity to them.

♡ It doesn't help that both of their hands are constantly covered in the stuff...

♡ You need to get accustomed to the feeling of ichor on you very quickly if you want to be with these two!

♡ Despite their respective current situations, they care for you a lot. Just existing as a twisted can be incredibly painful physically and emotionally, but you help make it just that bit more bearable for them! They appreciate you in their own ways, and they're grateful to have you by their side.

Footsteps echoed off the empty walls of Gardenview, the sound loud in the overwhelming silence that usually filled its hallways.

The source, you and your boyfriend, searched the corridors carefully.

Once again, Shrimpo had gotten aggressive with one of the other twisteds roaming the floor you had been exploring, and ran off after them.

So, as his very caring partners, it was up to you to figure out where he had gone, which had led you deep into the winding passageways of the floor, much deeper than any of you had intended to go.

Glisten held your hand tight, the other hanging limply in front of what remained of his stomach.

His eyes darted around, keeping a careful watch on every little patch of shadow within his range.

You, on the other hand, were trained to look for any flash of that shrimp. It was literally impossible to miss him, considering he was still Shrimpo and essentially allergic to the concept of stealth.

"Oh, [Name]... I don't like this." Glisten spoke softly, worry seeping through his tone. "What if something happened to him? You know how Shrimpo is..."

You turned to look at him, uttering a gentle assurance that your beloved partner would be fine, just like he always was, and that you'd find him soon enough.

He met your eyes, and you two held each others gaze for a moment before he nodded. "Right, yes. He'll be alright. Thank you..."

You offered him a smile, and with that, you set off on your search once again.

You two looked up and down the halls, behind every piece of cover, and even returned to a couple of places you had checked beforehand in the hope he had wandered into them while you were away, yet no such luck.

It was beginning to worry both of you; this was the longest yet it had taken to find him, even on the roomier floors.

Until Glisten paused suddenly. You stopped as well, asking him why he had done so.

"Look," He said, raising his free hand shakily to point. "There's... A trail of ichor..."

You directed your gaze at where he was pointing, met with a long smear of ichor that began a few feet in front of you. It seemed somewhat recent, as you could still see the light shimmering off of its wet surface.

You pointed out that it could have been left by Finn, although you hadn't seen him on this floor up till now, but the mirror simply shook his head. "No, it's too wide to have been left by him... He doesn't seem to be on this floor, either. Which means..."

It may have been left by Shrimpo. You were both thinking it.

You nodded, taking a deep breath before beginning to cautiously follow along the path, lead by the remains of the dark liquid.

It wound through the halls, taking a few turns and seeming to have lightly pooled in some places. You even happened upon the unconscious body of the twisted he had gone after at the start of the floor at one point, the shrimp clearly having beat them until they passed out. Ouch...

The trail tapered out into small droplets left behind from the remnants of the beatdown as it continued, slowly growing less frequent, before finally drying up altogether near the broken elevator.

Letting out a sigh, your gaze fell upon the end of the track, and as you turned to face Glisten, you saw it.

A flash of an ichor-stained shrimp tail.

It was your turn to point now, quickly shouting that you saw Shrimpo before sprinting in the direction you'd caught sight of him, dragging Glisten with you.

There he was. It didn't take long for the shrimp to take notice of you two, your footsteps thudding loudly against the floor as you ran. He appeared mostly unharmed, the only evidence he had attacked someone at all being a few extra splashes of ichor on his shirt.

Glisten sped ahead of you, and it was your turn to be dragged along.

He called the other's name, letting go of your hand to meet him with a tight hug. You caught up soon after, being invited swiftly into both of their embrace.

Shrimpo warbled something you couldn't make out, but what remained of his voice was clearly filled with something like joy.

"Oh, Shrimpo, we were so worried for you..." Whined the mirror, to which you voiced agreement. "Please, stop running off like that!"

The shrimp in question simply let out a huff. Obviously, he thought he was in the right for going after that other twisted earlier... Of course he did. Classic Shrimpo.

He was a lot sometimes, but moments like these where you three were happy and content together made it all worth it.

You love each other, and that's all that matters.

[maggotmessiah0]

I like to imagine Rolfe would argue w kids on roblox

[doriandrifting]

Ted Wheeler sees the Byers and says, “Thank god you folks are back. Between the two of these kids, I thought I was going to have to take out a second mortgage just to afford my phone bill,” and has absolutely no idea the chaos he has just unleashed.

[toastedfries]

The Sun will Rise.

These two are devastatingly gay for each other and no one can convince me otherwise.

[threepandas]

Bad End: No Good Turn

I rushed to catch up, as I saw the party leaving. Advisor Leukippos was a hopelessly busy man after all. Seeming to drift, with elegant unhurried steps, from appointment to appointment at a somehow impossible speed. It was near impossible to actually catch him NOT in the middle of something. And believe me, I'd been TRYING!

"Advisor! Respected One! Please wait!" I did not so much... shout (as that would be RUDE. One must NEVER be RUDE around the Yanderians. They take GREAT exception. I've looked them up. Have even started taking classes on the subject.) as sorta? Pitched my voice to carry? Kinda the verbal equivalent of that awkward half jog, not run, people do.

My Yanderian pronunciation is god awful. Probably butchering the words, since I can't, you know, actually HEAR any of the nuanced under or over tones. The slight inflections. Yanderian is a language of SONG. Poetry. Composing some of the most beautiful audible art in the known universe. Some of the pieces I've heard? Are like whale song made of starlight. Birdsong made of thunder.

And that's the RECORDINGS! Which are said to miss SO MUCH of the in person nuances, due to technological limitations!

I, being a human, literally don't have the philosophy to even speak the language properly. Never will.

Not the voice box, not the HEARING, and certainly not the lung capacity. But I wanted to at least try, you know? If nothing else, maybe learn the language. There WERE after all, auditory aids for Yanderians with ear injuries. And! I theoretically? Could contact the company? To see if they would be willing to design a set of nuance readers for a human sized head! Adjusted for human hearing and visual ranges!

To be honest? I just was waiting to be able to send my message in Yanderian first. To prove that it wouldn't be a waste of time. Nuance readers were a time consuming project after all! Had to be customized to the life form wearing them.

Leukippos and his entourage had stopped, turned. Some fully, some only half way, to glance in bemused and startled confusion at the (no doubt strange) little creature trying to hacksaw her way through a sentence in their language. None the less, they DID stop for me, for which I was grateful. Their people were fuckin TALL, man. Long legs. Holy SHIT long legs. G-gimme a second! Gotta...! Breathe...!

I could practically feel their amusement from behind the assorted fans. Eyes curving up to match hidden grins.

"No drink to spill upon me, little one? How shall I recognize you now?" Comes teasing song speech from the man I've been trying, for DAYS, to catch outside of any one of his many responsibilities. I think? That particular rumbling quality? Means "playfully said, not insulting you?"

His body language certainly suggests it.

The laugh that forces its way out of my body? Is the sort that you make, while contemplating throwing yourself into the fucking SEA or a bottomless pit, after dumping your breakfast on like... a world leader.

Because I Basically DID.

Which? Ha ha... oh god, kill me. They wear FUCKING WHITE. The higher the rank? The MORE WHITE! (It's the color of Divinity and Honor! Which DOESNT FUCKING HELP! Oh GOD, does this mean what I did was SACRILEGIOUS TOO?!) Nothing but pale, easily and irreversibly stain-able colors, as far as the eye can see! And I accidentally? Dumped my shitty break room "whatever has caffeine and is still in stock" on him!

FIVE TIMES.

I've literally GIVEN UP open air caffeinated drinks because of this! They are the devil! Evil! Trying to ruin both my sanity AND my life! I don't CARE if canned coffee is more expensive! At least I can't DUMP IT ON A DIGNITARY.

The worst part? The ABSOLUTE WORST? Was how understanding and calm Leukippos was, while I lost my shit. It wasn't even MY outfit. He was the one covered in probably still burning coffee! As I hyperventilated and blubbered apologies and cried at him. Hair a mess! Sleep deprived as FUCK because my boss is an asshole. Well... WAS an asshole.

He came over to yell at me.

Did not go well for him. What with that being Rude™ and me having already spilled the beans that the whole incident was CAUSED by me being overworked. Sleep deprivation slows reaction times, you know?

But then... but THEN! It? Kept?? HAPPENING!!!

Turn a corner? Bump! Right down his front. Leaving a lift? Bump! Splash! There goes my cup! Oh but what about a SAFETY cup? I, like FOOL, naively think! Ha ha...

I nearly concuss him! Somehow! Right over the edge of some railing! Slams into the ground at his feet. Nearly hitting him from THREE STORIES UP, right on the head! Pretty sure the sound I made? Was just as painful to HEAR as it was to rip out of my own throat in panic.

No More Cups! Cups are BAD. This? Anti-cup having household.

We'll drink from fucking SPOONS if we have too! Bowls!

NO CUPS!

And every? Single?? Time??? Leukippos not only stops, in the middle of his unspeakably busy schedule, to calm down and reassure this random ass low ranking alien, who's dumped potentially toxic or dangerous unknown alien foodstuffs, just ALL over his incredibly expensive clothes? He's KIND about it! Polite! Makes light hearted little jokes and says not to worry!

It would be one thing, if he was an asshole about it? But!? He's so politely understanding instead? You just end up standing there. Staring in HORROR. At the slowly spreading stains, on that beautiful, delicate, lovely embroidered white fabric. Clothes that are HAND CRAFTED. Take months if not YEARS to make!!! And you just? Feel your soul... die inside.

Kill me. Fucking END me. I deserve it.

Oh my god.... What Have I Done?

But, hey! If he wants to turn my Horrifying Drink Based Trauma Crimes into a cute friendship meet cute? I'm so unbelievably down for that. Literally ANYTHING so I stop feeling like I'm constantly setting this man's ceremonial robes on fire in front of him, then having him ask if I'M okay or need anything.

Speaking of which? Excitedly I reach into my messages bag, asking if he remembers the over robe he lent me. Another victim to our coffee attacks, the over robe was of a style that traditionally hung open, so it only slightly got hit. His main robe suffering the worst of it. Most importantly, though? The over robe is the main decorative one! Heavy on the subtle off white on white embroidery.

It creates a kind of magical looking effect as the light hits it, it's hard to explain.

But! I got coffee'd too, right? Right down my front! So what does he do? Leukippos slides off his over robe and puts it on me. So I won't be walking around in state that would get me socially embarrassed. Cause a scandal. Still not sure if it's a Yanderian or a "their region of the galaxy" thing.

However, that? Left me with a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL and quickly staining white over robe. Not Today, Satan! So I looked up how to save it. Rushed it to a professional cleaners. They kept it from getting worse but couldn't help me, due to the unique fibers the robe was made off, but knew who COULD and sent me on my way.

I ended up in a breathing mask in little Kkbrixxtttishky. And I know, okay? It's mostly oxygen in that dome. Yeah, it IS, but there are enough fatally toxic trace elements in the atmosphere that unless you have a REALLY good filter mask? It's just safer to go full breathing mask. It's not fucking "paranoid" or "racist" or whatever garbage they'll tell you.

Half those fuckers saying that? Wouldn't even TRAVEL there if their LIVES depended on it! For ALL sorts of VERY reasonable excuses, I'm SURE. Bastards. One breathing mask and an uncomfortable decontamination shower between domes is all it takes! It's barely a few minutes delay between domes. Then you're in!

And? The whole area is beautiful. Everyone is super nice, deeply kind (especially when you get lost... like... A LOT). And oh my god? Do you know how badly I wish I could eat the food without, you know, dying? (God those little pie thingies looked so fucking GOOD...)

Anyway! Long and short of it? The Kkbrixxtttishky cleaner knew how to clean the robe! Even stored it in an air tight container so it could be decontaminated for my safe handling. They? Were so sympathetic? Shared my absolute horror at the situation. We're and ARE an absolute gem. Swear to God I plan to recommend them to anyone who can breathe that grade of atmosphere.

It was worth every unit.

Pulling out a clean, neatly folded robe to return? Feels like a triumph.

"The robe of which I gave you, clean once more." He says, recognizing it on sight. The smile behind his fan seems to grow, from what charmed expression I can see of his face, as he steps closer. "Such care, in trusted hands, this robe has found. Little one, you have gone to great lengths. No easy thing, the cleansing of such cloth. And to return it? None would think you less, should you have kept a gift..."

The songspeech has a distinctly warm tone to it, more then the already fond tone that had been there before. Heck yeah~ Knew it! I KNEW I did the right thing! And besides, it WAS the right thing. I tell him as much. He didn't really GIVE me his robe, he leant me it to help me save face.

The Galactic Senate is unspeakably vast. He was running the risk of never seeing it again but did it ANYWAY. Just so I wouldn't be seen walking around covered in a mess. I was just sorry I couldn't fix the OTHER robes my clumsiness had ruined.

"Virtuous little one~" Leukippos says sings, the nuanced tones, which I could only barely hear, suggesting his words were meant to be both teasing and praise. He driftes closer. His other hand elegantly raising to join the first. Both gripping his fan in an... almost coy sort of way? Ah, I'm probably reading that one wrong. Still learning, after all...

"Won't you join me? A walk with good company, is a pleasant one indeed. I have not had chance to speech casually with you before. We would have sent you correspondence; In accordance with tradition and regard, however..."

Leukippos trailed off. Politely not saying the obvious. Which was that it was fuckin impossible to find me in the G.S. directory, since I was effectively a Nobody, and you'd have to know Going IN which Embassy I worked for. Even then, it'd be rough as hell, dragging me name out of that thing. I was the afterthought of an afterthought, that the forgettable once might of had.

But hey, it pays the bills.

I grin. Of course, I'd love to join him. If I'm not getting in the way! The robe is handed off to one of the smiling members of the entourage. Tucked away somewhere. And I am swallowed into the center of the group. Holy SHIT, they are tall. Like? I knew that. On average? Yanderians were about a foot and a half taller then humans... but STILL? I think these guys might be tall for Yanderians? I feel dainty. Wild.

Leukippos helps with my pronunciation, as we walk. Recommends a few new up and coming artists who's works sound fascinating. Distracted by it all, I don't notice our path meandering away from what I know is his next appointment, and towards his office. At least, I don't until we're alone.

His fan lower gently from his face, revealing handsome features.

I startle, don't know where to look. Uuuuuuuh?! No, wait, what!? No. See, I REMEMBER my basics of Yanderian etiquette block, from the sociology lessons I'm taking. He's not allowed to DO that! He can't DO THAT! Illegal! Naked! Why is he FACE NAKED!? That's like taking your SHIRT OFF! Fine around close friends and family. But JUST around them! ONLY them.

Going 0 to 150 REAL FAST, my guy!

Sputtering, I spin around. I saw NOTHING. Sexy lil fangs WHOMS'T? Ha ha! Jawline whaaaat? No, no! I'm actually BLIND. As of just a bit ago! Terrible, really. Should probably see a doctor! Now actually! Yeah. Now sounds good. I'm just gonna-!!

Softly, elegantly, like a dancer's pose, an arm in billowing white reaches over my should to delicately press against the door. It's the old fashioned kind. Swinging, not slide, made of wood. Must of cost more then I make in a year. The hand presses one finger at a time, a precise little sequence of tap tap tap.

Each finger accompanied by the softest sound of sharp nail tips.

I am suddenly hyperaware. H..How did he move that-?

The friendly atmosphere, the comfort, seems to have been sucked out of the room as thoroughly as an open airlock straight to the void. I am alone with a man I do not... now that I think about it... actually know. I FELT like I knew him. We keep meeting. I've been learning about his people. But do I know HIM? Personally? The nature of HIS character?

I... I do not.

And he is a very, VERY powerful man.

My eyes are locked on the hand, gently holding the door shut. I haven't tried my strength against his. Yet. But the numbers are in my head. The odds. Cold sweat prickles and beads along my skin, my breathe shallow, as I stand utterly frozen. It's a beautifully manicured hand, I note. Strong wrist, there a hint of true muscle, under all those robes.

He smells of trees and musk, spices and flowers not native to earth. The sleeve flowing over my shoulder is dangerously soft. His existence a pillar of heat, right behind me, not touching... but close enough. He seems perfectly content to wait me out. My mind is static.

"We fall in love quite easily, did you know? Oh little one..." His words are sighed confession, sung like falling leaves. Another hand comes up, on the other side of me. "My people greatest folly. Our weakness, our despair. Oh little one, we love too much. It frightens people. How quickly and deeply we fall..."

Why was he telling me that? I... I know the most obvious reason why he MIGHT be. B-but surely not! Ha ha. No way. C-can't be! So Why Is He TELLING ME THAT?!

"Courtship requires planning of course. Research. 'Meet-Cutes' I believe they are titled? Did you enjoy them? Were they proper? I'm to take you on outings next, yes? Flowers and material goods. To prove I can provide and know you well, and ah~"

There was mouth pressed to the nape of my neck, breathing deep against my skin. I could feel the almost lazy hunter's grin, splitting those lips into a smirk. Sharp teeth and hot breathe, dangerously close and already lusting to leave behind marks.

"And I DO know you so well. I have made certain of that, my little one. Dearest little one. Jewel of my heart, soon to be keeper of my name. I will court you in your ways, then I will court you in mine. Our wedding will be beautiful."

My heart was racing. I had to get out of here. Go and never, EVER come back. Oh god, at this distance? There was no WAY he couldn't hear everything. I had to lie! Do something! Anything! Just get out of this room. Back to Earth's embassy!

I... I couldn't move. Afraid. I was afraid.

He's so big. So much stronger then me. I have to get out.

"You shall such peace and love on Yanderia, darling. The other partners will rejoice for a new friend and you will be welcomed. Isn't that lovely? There is so much we do not show outsiders. But you, little one?"

"You will have the rest of your life to learn it ALL~"

[aealzx]

_______________________

Update Post

Prologue | AO3

Previous Next

_______________________

“DA-NI! DA-NI!”

“C’MON JON LET’S GOOOO!”

“You’re pretty sure you can get ectoplasm by accessing this Liminal Realm directly then? There’s no other option?” Bruce was trying to ignore the robust cheering from the rest of the kids while he caught up on the situation with Raven and Dick. Apparently Danielle and Jon had ended up in an arm wrestle contest, on which several of the children had bet their desserts that night on who would win. But while the feats of metahuman skill were something to be noted, Bruce was more interested in the report Raven had already given the eldest two of his kids.

“C’MON DANI YOU MADE HIM BUDGE WIN ME THAT BROWNIE!” Stephanie was barely keeping herself from shaking the younger girl.

“JON! DON’T LET ME DOWN LITTLE MAN!” Duke’s mild panic turned into a cheer alongside Tim when Jon forced the two hands back to the center. They seemed to be evenly matched, but it was hard to tell if that was the truth or if there were other factors in play. Jon’s abilities were still only starting to manifest, so no one knew his full potential just yet. But Danielle also was arguably not running at her full capacity after months of being half starved for both her human side and ghost side.

“Yes, but not here. Even with Dani’s presence the Liminal Realm could still reject us. I can keep myself from being hurt if there’s a violent rejection, but I’d rather not have to worry about my surroundings too,” Raven confirmed, also trying not to be distracted by the competition. “The only alternatives I can think of are trying to find a hotspot, which the others have failed to do in the past two months. Or try to purify any existing samples.”

“Neither option is viable,” Bruce grumbled slightly. Opening a gateway to the Liminal Realm sounded like a disaster in the making to him, but it was still a better option than anything else they had. “Do you have a location in mind?”

“There’s an island near the one the Titan’s tower is on that we’ve used before for people with more risky abilities. We’ll be close enough to the facility that any complications should be easy to manage as well,” Raven suggested, earning a hesitantly agreeing hum and nod from Bruce.

Before Bruce could verbally answer, a loud cracking noise of splintering wood followed by several shouts of despair and surprise alerted them of the arm wrestle being interrupted by the table snapping under Danielle and Jon’s strength. The two kids half toppled over as quick hands from the surrounding cheerleaders snatched a hold of them to keep them from hitting the ground.

“NOOO! WHO WAS WINNING?” Tim practically wailed as Duke, Stephanie and Sam helped the competitors regain their footing.

“Obviously not the table,” Danielle quipped, flexing and shaking her hand a little now that it was free of the stress she had put it under.

Jon could only snort and laugh at the comment, also shaking his hand. “I dunno. You are pretty strong though. Maybe we really are tied this time?”

“A true test of strength would involve more than a childish match with only one limb in play,” Damian interjected, looking at the broken table in disappointment.

“Yeah I don’t think a fight to the death is something I’d be willing to sign up for though, Damian,” Jon winced with a nervous chuckle, knowing by now the only contests Damian seemed to find worthy were ones where people got more than a little hurt.

“I don’t think it would work in the first place considering one of us is already half dead, too,” Danielle added, raising her hands in a shrug, earning a snort from Stephanie.

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Tucker half whispered, looking at Danielle incredulously.

The mild banter subsided when Bruce and Raven took that as their chance to get back to business, walking closer to the group and catching their attention.

“Oh! Hey Raven! You’re here earlier than I thought you’d be. We already milked the Batcow, and brushed her and Goliath. But you could still brush them a little more if you wanted,” Jon offered, gesturing to a bucket of fresh milk that had luckily been set aside on a different table with the brushes.

“...I’m good, thank you,” Raven politely declined, mildly amused. Jon was still quite the farm boy at heart.

“We’re actually here to see if Danielle would be willing to help us in another attempt to get some ectoplasm for Danny,” Bruce explained, shifting his gaze to the girl in question.

“Oh? Sure thing. Of course. What do you need?” Danielle agreed readily, easily stepping forward to join them. “Jazz already gave permission I guess?”

“With the condition that we keep you safe,” Dick confirmed with a nod. “Raven was able to figure out which Realm the ectoplasm you guys run off of comes from, and is going to try to open a gateway to it. Apparently you being there is supposed to make it play nicely instead of blowing up in our faces.”

“...Another Realm?” Stephanie asked, having not missed how Sam and Tucker’s demeanor changed at the mention of it. They seemed a little nervous now. Hiding something.

“The Realm Between Realms,” Raven clarified, also feeling the shift in their guest’s emotions. “They know it as the Infinite Realm, and Danny and Dani have close ties to it that should make it more receptive to my attempt to draw energy from it.”

“Excuse me?” Sam couldn’t help blurting, taking a defensive step towards Danielle as semi recent memories of the GIW trying to use Danny as a battery to access the Infinite Realms flooded her mind.

“We’re not going to try anything that might damage the Realm,” Dick spoke up quickly, raising his hands to placate Sam. “We know how important it is for that Realm to remain intact. That’s why Raven wants to try everything she can to not cause problems with it.”

It was a surprising response to hear, and both Sam and Tucker couldn’t find an immediate answer. So Raven tried to explain a little further. “Both Danny and Dani are beings that should be easily accepted and favored by other realms. And since the ectoplasm in their system originates from the Liminal Realm I expect it recognizes them as one of its own. But with them also being half alive, our Realm also accepts them as one if its own. They’re a perfect bridge between realms.”

“Okay, so it’s like big sister asking the favorite child to ask mom and dad for a favor, got it,” Danielle reworded in her own way. “So what do I need to do? Am I the one supposed to open the portal? You don’t think I can build one do you? Because we absolutely would have tried that already if I knew how,” she prodded, feeling a little nervous now that she was thinking she had to do this on her own.

“Wait- Dani, are you sure? The last time a portal was opened…,” Sam cautioned, still uneasy as a different memory came to her.

“Hey, which one of us is the lab experiment?” Danielle reminded them, gesturing between the two of them. “I got this. I know my limits,” she assured, ignoring the brief looks of deep concern from Bruce and his family.

“...She is remarkably well adjusted to being a clone,” Tim muttered quietly to Stephanie.

“Either that or she uses humor to cope like some people we know,” Stephanie muttered back. They should have known Danielle probably didn’t have the happiest first while of her life. None of the other clones they knew had been created for benign reasons after all.

“I’ll be the one creating a temporary portal. You’ll just have to come with me to a safer area, and stand where I tell you to,” Raven explained, not sure how she wanted to react to the girl. It was hard to be too worried about someone who didn’t seem to have any concerns at all right then.

“Stand there?” Danielle repeated, waiting for a nod from Raven before inevitably shrugging. “Sounds easy enough. Lead the way then, oh temporary big sister,” she agreed, opening her hands to show she was willing to follow.

The term caught Raven off guard, so she didn’t respond before Sam interrupted again. This time it wasn’t to stop them. “I want to go too. If that’s alright,” Sam half requested, half insisted. “The last time we left Dani on her own she got shot,” she added to hopefully persuade them into letting her come. That was only part of the reason though. She was really just curious to see how Raven was going to open a portal to the Infinite Realms when as far as she knew the only ones that had managed to do that before were Danny and Jazz’s parents. And for them it almost seemed to have been an accident.

“That shouldn’t be a problem. As long as you listen to what I tell you,” Raven agreed. One more person shouldn’t be a problem. She preferred to not have a crowd, but she was getting used to it after staying with the Teen Titans for so long. Everyone seemed to like being in each others’ business there, even if it was just to watch each other train.

“Can I come too?” Jon asked, raising his hand and taking Sam’s permission as a chance that he could be included.

“Oh, me too, me too,” Stephanie added, also raising her hand halfway. And with her request Duke raised his hand as well, and Tucker quickly added his to the group too.

With three more people wanting to join, and having no real reason to decline since she knew telling them it might be dangerous would do nothing to deter them, Raven sighed. “Very well. Just don’t do anything unless you’re told to,” she relented, quickly gesturing to open a portal of her own to transport them to her desired location. Maybe if she got this over with quick enough she could avoid any more tag alongs.

Humming in content at being given permission, Stephanie followed the others as they filed through the intra realm portal. Danielle walked through the dark gateway easily enough, but Tucker definitely hesitated and latched onto Sam as they passed, just in case they ended up separated. Duke also seemed quite excited to be able to participate, following as Jon rushed through the portal. Then as Raven moved to follow them last she had to pause as Damian wordlessly stepped in line with her.

“...Someone has to keep an eye on the children,” was all Damian offered when Raven paused to look at him expectantly. It earned a tiny, amused smile from Raven as she sighed slightly again and allowed him to follow her. Her reaction only proved Damian’s thought that she seemed to be in a good mood considering she was letting so many people possibly annoy her by tagging along.

___

Once they reached the area Raven had in mind it had taken some time for her to direct people to where they needed to be. Originally she had only planned on having Danielle there, and maybe one other person to help if needed. But with everyone who had wanted to come she found it could actually be potentially beneficial for Sam and Tucker to have accompanied them. They had the same liminal saturated state of existence that Jazz did, which might sway the bargain more in their favor.

After leading the group to a clearing in the trees, Raven had pointed to a spot for Danielle to stand. And after confirming that Sam and Tucker were willing to help Raven also directed them to their own positions. Three evenly spread points on an invisible circle about 20 meters in radius. And while they were a little confused about the command to just stand in place and not move unless they were in danger, the three seemed willing enough to participate in the ritual. The rest of the tag alongs Raven had ordered to remain hidden behind the surrounding foliage or boulders. Just in case.

“If everyone is ready, I’ll begin,” Raven prompted, taking her own position in the middle of the circle as her traditional uniform replaced her casual attire in shadowy wisps. The feat earned a series of soft, excited noises from the Phantom kids, but they obediently stayed where they had been put. And after Danielle gave a thumbs up around the four liter jar she was holding, shifting into her ghost form for good measure, Raven nodded once before raising vertically into the air.

To be fair the three from Amity weren’t used to non ghost people being able to do anything supernatural. So when Raven’s form lifted so easily in the air, her cloak flaring out behind her as the glow of four eyes flashed under her hood they were naturally captivated. Even more so as Raven raised her hands out to her sides momentarily before gracefully pulling them towards herself in an alternating cup above and below a space in front of her torso.

That was when the hauntingly familiar sensation started to spread over Danielle’s form. The way the realm natives shuddered and started looking around anxiously, and Sam and Tucker glanced at their surroundings in curious familiarity betrayed that they felt the same thing. The creeping eeriness that tended to saturate burial sites, or other spaces not quite completely in one realm. Places people had come to call liminal spaces. Where things that shouldn’t happen did, or didn’t. Just unbelievable enough to make people think they hadn’t actually experienced what they thought they had.

To Danielle, Sam and Tucker it felt like home.

As the spine crawling sensation grew to an almost suffocating invisible smog the space between Raven’s hands suddenly cracked. Green lines splitting from a point between her palms as the realm broke into another, pieces of the space splitting off and either falling into the growing hole or peeling away and dissipating. It looked the same as the breaking mirror effect the G.I.W.’s machines had caused more than two months ago. But this time it didn’t feel disastrous. The broken hole stayed relatively small, and Danielle felt something different brush over her like the caress of fog billowing gently passed her. Her breath momentarily fanned out in front of her, and she couldn’t help responding as it felt like something was beckoning her. Her own feet left the weak confines of the grass tickling her shoes as she floated up to a point halfway between the ground and where Raven was. She’d only moved up, and not broken the circle, and her movement felt accepted.

And with the acceptance a very familiar orb of brightly glowing green bloomed out from the cracked plane. Raven seemed to be struggling to hold the connection between realms, but Danielle couldn’t help the small gasp as the orb condensed slightly, a slow stream of ectoplasm cascading down to pool on Raven’s lower hand before continuing its descent. Raven grimaced when the substance touched her skin, but held her place. A little extra magic plucked the jar from Danielle’s grasp and brought it under the falling stream, catching the gift bestowed on them from the Liminal Realm.

They had been optimistic with the size of the jar. But they would still accept the smaller amount given to them. It took many, long, borderline agonizing minutes for the glass jar to fill. When it wasn’t quite halfway full the stream of ectoplasm thinned, and Raven pushed to hold the connection a bit longer before giving in and pulling her hands away.

No need to push their luck. 

As soon as her position changed there was a sound of a single crack splitting glass and the break between realms sealed with the rapid filling of paint spilling across marble. The jar was returned to Danielle’s hands, and Raven’s form dropped just a little too quickly back to the ground. She wasn’t all that hurt, but it was still enough of a drop that Jon darted out from their source of cover and leapt into the air high enough to catch her. Their landing wasn’t the most graceful considering she was taller than him, but it still helped, and she simply pressed a hand to her head for a moment after Jon gently set her down.

“Are you alright?” the lad asked, as Damian almost skidded to Raven’s side as well, resting a hand on her shoulder as the rest of the group followed.

“I’m fine,” Raven assured. “Just drained.” She almost felt like she’d lost a liter of blood, but she knew the sensation would pass. She just needed to take it easy for a bit. But she was more concerned about the results of their endeavor, and looked over to where Danielle was openly staring at the jar in her hands.

When it was clear that Raven just needed rest, Jon couldn’t help spilling his excitement from what he’d seen. “That. Was. AWESOME!” he gushed while Stephanie and Duke approached Danielle.

“...Is that the stuff?” Stephanie asked, resting her hands on her knees as she leaned over to peer at the glowing green goop.

Danielle was a bit stunned silent, not quite able to believe that she was finally holding two liters of rich, pure ectoplasm that seemed to be just slightly a higher concentration than what her parents gave her at home. But at Stephanie’s question she finally breathed a confirmation. “... Yes.”

That seemed to break the stillness in her own mind as well, for the rush of excitement suddenly crashed into her brain and she started shaking slightly. “Yes! Oh my goooosh, it issss,” she blurted, quickly setting the jar on the ground so she didn’t accidentally spill it as she abruptly started pumping her fists and jumping up and down. “YES! YES! YES! FINALLY!!! FFFFFF- AAAAAHHHHHHH!!” Danielle couldn’t help screaming in her excitement, leaping forward to tackle Sam and Tucker as soon as they were close enough and bursting into a fit of laughter. “WE HAVE SOME! IT’S ECTOPLASM!!” she cheered between contagious laughing that quickly spread to her friends.

“They got some?!”

“Oh heck yes! Finally! Oh my gosh!”

Sam and Tucker joined Danielle in her elated rambles, wrapping their arms around her and allowing themselves to be slung around by each other’s jumping and swaying.

Raven couldn’t help the tiny laugh that escaped her at the kids’ reactions, and even Damian cracked a smile. “Thank you,” the lad expressed, giving Raven’s shoulder a light squeeze before standing and offering her a hand to help her up.

“No problem,” Raven accepted, taking Damian’s hand and using it to steady herself once she got to her feet as well.

“Dude, this looks like the green stuff you were bleeding when Deathstroke shot you,” Duke commented, peering at the contents of the jar.

“That’s because it’s pretty much the same stuff,” Danielle snorted, slightly breathless from all her hollering. “It’s just not claimed. Ghost blood can’t really be shared between ghosts, but this stuff doesn't belong to any ghost, so its free game,” she explained a little more, then quickly reached over and slapped Duke’s hand away from reaching into the jar. “Ah! Don’t touch. It’s poison to regular humans.”

Being told it was poison to him was enough for Duke to yank his hand back where it belongs, pulling away from the toxic substance. “Fair enough. Guess I’ll let you carry it back home then,” he relented, keeping away from the substance.

Do you have enough strength to take us back to the manor? Or should I summon our own ride?” Damian asked, looking at Raven but ready to use his phone to call one of their flying vehicles if necessary.

“If you don’t mind me sticking around for a while, I can take us back,” Raven agreed.

“Stay as long as you like,” Stephanie assured, giving a thumbs up.

“Says the one that doesn’t even live there,” Duke snorted, amused, and folded his arms.

“What? But I thought you were adopted like the rest?” Sam asked, face scrunching slightly in confusion.

“Only for legalities,” Stephanie clarified. “It was just to get the social workers off my back. I actually still live with my mom, and there’s no way in hell I’m ever calling Bruce dad.”

“Ah. Fair enough,” Sam nodded, not going to pry any further.

It was enough of a delay for Raven to build up a little more energy to open a short distance portal for them to take back to the Wayne manor, and once it was open the group was quick to file through.

_____

“JAZZ!!” Danielle’s holler came immediately after she emerged from Raven’s portal into the manor foyer. She wasted no time bothering with the stairs, simply turning intangible with the jar in her hands and zipping through the floor and walls to Danny’s room. “JAZZ, HOLY CRAP!”

The others chuckled at Danielle’s antics, figuring she and her friends could take care of delivering the good news well enough. Duke excused himself to go fetch Bruce, and Damian and Jon followed Raven to the closest couch to sit. Stephanie followed Sam and Tucker up the stairs, but they ended up having to quickly dodge out of the way as Jazz came bolting passed them. The eldest girl was quick to hunt Raven down, and when she found them Jazz immediately threw her arms around the girl.

“THANK YOU!” Jazz blurted, hugging Raven tightly despite her surprised stiffness. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Raven wasn’t sure how to react, but managed to bring herself to lower her half raised hand to Jazz’s back, giving her a small pat. “You’re welcome.”

“Jazz! Come on! Leslie is here!” Danielle was calling down the stairs, leaning over the railing so far she was at risk of falling off.

“Coming!” Jazz called back, giving Raven one more quick hug and thank you before excusing herself to run back upstairs.

The rest of that day held much lighter spirits than the manor had seen in awhile. After some explanation from Jazz about how Danny and Danielle usually absorbed ectoplasm Leslie had opted to try an IV, especially when the ectoplasm seemed to dilute well enough into a liquid with the saline water. The kids had hung out in the room for a little while once the IV was in place, but eventually their excitement was too much to be confined in the small room. They ended up outside again, burning off their energy in simple but active games with the other residents of the manor. Danielle and Jon made for an interesting sports game among the kids, and Bruce was pleased to see Jazz participating for once while he and Leslie took care of monitoring Danny this time.

“Well, it looks like this is working better than I thought it would,” Leslie commented after some time of silence, having just given Danny a routine check up. Even without being a doctor Bruce could tell Danny was doing much better than when he’d first seen the boy. His skin wasn’t ghastly pale anymore, his heart rate had finally reached a normal range, and his breathing was slow and even.

“Indeed,” Bruce agreed, reaching over to confirm his own suspicion by gently taking Danny’s hand for a moment. As he’d thought, the boy was now warm to the touch instead of icy cold. Maybe a little too warm now, but that was to be expected. He still had a fever, but that would be much easier to manage than a self induced cryo stasis.

Hopefully the lad would be able to wake up soon now.

_______________________

An obnoxiously long post because I honestly just didn't want to draw a second picture for this section X'DD

Also me covering up for my oopsie not knowing Stephanie wasn't actually adopted by Bruce. Please accept my apology in the form of an in story excuse |P

I spammed Twin Fates by Sawano Hiroyuki while writing the second half of this one

_______________________

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Enrico Pucci loves his daycare job, a concept.