#no one can stop me because no one is there to witness it

[eyra]

stuff what I have learnt about writing good

If you've followed me for longer than two minutes then you'll likely know (because I keep going on about it) that I've been working on a novel for the past year. It's always been a dream of mine to write and publish a book and whilst I still have a long way to go before I can even start thinking about querying (whether on this book, or the next, or the next, etc.) I suppose I can now say that a book Exists. I have written A Book.

Now whether or not that book ever sees the light of day, the process of writing it has been truly eye-opening. I went in knowing virtually nothing and came out, still with a huge amount to learn, but with a whole library of tools that I didn't have before. I'm now putting these to use with the first draft of my second book and already the process feels so much more enjoyable, because I've started to figure out how to make it work for me.

I wanted to jot down what I've learnt purely for my own reference so I can keep looking back and reminding myself what worked for me first time around, but given that I get a nice number of asks picking my brain about my own writing process, I thought I might as well share all this with you lot in case there's anyone out there who finds it useful!

So here are the big things that I've learnt so far...

1. Not every trick works for every writer

This has been, by far, my biggest learning. Starting to plan a novel for me felt SO overwhelming - I felt like I was bombarded on all sides with "this is how to write a novel" content, and it felt like there was just too much to learn and like I would never find my way through it. I spent weeks (months...) doing every worksheet, every outlining method, every chart, anything I could get my hands on. Some of them, by the end, proved themselves very useful. A lot of them didn't. There are thousands of voices online that are telling you "this is the right way to write a book" or even "this is the ONLY way to write a book" - don't listen to them. Try things, but don't feel like you have to fit yourself into every single box. Just find the things that work for you.

2. It's possible to overplan

On a related note - sometimes you just need to start writing. I spent WAY TOO LONG faffing about before I put pen to paper with my first book. So, so long planning out characters and plot points, a lot of which I then had to completely reimagine mid-draft because I realised they just didn't work anymore. In hindsight, some of this was down to me being scared to actually start writing - the planning stage was a bit of a comfort zone for me, despite not naturally being a plotter/architect - I have always always always been a pantser/gardener, but I got sucked into the whole "proper authors do it THIS way" narrative.

With my second novel, I did a nice amount of planning but then just bit the bullet and started drafting. I know where my story begins, ends, what my major themes are, I know all my main characters and I know my key plot points. The rest, I'm figuring out as I draft. If nothing else - I'm having a lot more fun this time around.

3. Think about voice and tense before drafting

Yeah duh obvious right? NOT TO ME. If you were following me around April time, you may have witnessed a series of minor breakdowns when I realised that, having written a whole first draft in third person present tense, the entire book should actually have been written in first person past tense. So that meant, basically, starting over from scratch. This was a big learning for me, and not a mistake I'm likely to make again.

4. Stop looking at your word count

For someone who's never really put much thought into word count before - my approach with fanfiction has already been "it'll be as long as it'll be" - I got OBSESSED with the word count of my first couple of drafts. A lot of people will tell you that any good novel "has to be" under 100k words. I constantly see this one post on Pinterest that says "I promise you that you can tell the story you want to tell in 100k words or under." I'm definitely no expert on this (and I'll eat my words when an agent tells me my manuscript needs cutting down), but I'm sceptical - a lot of stories can and should be under 100k words, sure, but most of my favourite books are much longer than this. However, I did get stuck in a "this manuscript has to be between 70k and 100k words" mindset and felt like a failure whenever it was sitting outside of that bracket. Also - keep your genre in mind. If you're writing a rom-com, 70k could work perfectly. If you're writing fantasy, you're probably going to go over that.

5. Know whether you're an overwriter or an underwriter

And related to the above - know whether you tend to write bare bones-style then add to it, or whether you tend to dump it all on the page then cut back later. I'm the first, and I knew this, but I still panicked when my first draft was only around 70k. I felt like it was rushing through the plot at an unreasonable pace and it didn't feel "finished". This was because it was a first draft. By the time I sent my manuscript to my beta reader, it was around 126k.

6. The dumb stuff works

The title of the document for my first draft was "XXX - worst possible version" and at multiple points during the drafting process I changed the font to Comic Sans size 48. It works. Completely takes the pressure off and gives you full permission to write big, write silly, write unhinged, write mad things that you'll cut back by 90% later. But it gets it all on the page. If you're stuck or cringing at yourself in Times New Roman size 12, try Comic Sans size 48.

7. Don't compare your first draft to your favourite book

Like an idiot, I did this. I still find myself doing it. It's possibly my worst writing habit. I'll type out a page at 11pm after a full day at work and no dinner and then I'll pick up a published book and think "ah man, the page I've just written is nowhere NEAR as good as this." Published books are fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh drafts that then go through months and months of editing. Do not compare your manuscript to a published book. Just don't do it.

8. Don't try to be That Author

Good writers are good readers. Absolutely read broadly, read deeply, just read. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, everything. And it's fine to find yourself influenced by other writers - that's how writing works. But don't try to BE other writers. One of the issues I had to unpick last year was that I was reading a lot of authors whose writing styles are very different to my own. I know my own style fairly well by this point - fanfiction's a great sandbox for figuring that out - but at certain moments during my editing phases I found myself cutting away at my prose because it felt "too different" to the books I was reading at the time. This was a weird thing for me to have done, and I went back and fixed it later.

I think what I'm trying to say with this one is: take inspiration from everywhere, let yourself be influenced by different writing styles, but find your own voice and trust it. Literature already has a Sally Rooney and a Donna Tartt and a Leigh Bardugo. It doesn't need a clone - it needs you!

I'll finish by sharing what I've found to be the most useful plotting template. This obviously isn't the total extent of my planning process by any means, but after trying about a million different plotting techniques for my first manuscript, this is the one:

The 27 chapter method (more examples here)

And finally, two little character tricks that I find invaluable:

AITAH?

Character philosophy

I hope someone out there finds something useful in this post! Although I've been writing in some capacity since I was a teenager, 2024 was definitely the year I realised that I am a writer at my core. I want to be a published author, but I'm already a writer. It brings me happiness like nothing else in the world! And I love to talk about all aspects of writing, so my ask box is always very much open.

Happy scribbling! x

[blueskittlesart]

ok apologies for lurking but in 2022 (!!) you wrote an answer to a question about AOC and in it you wrote that in BOTW link does not choose zelda over his duty to the kingdom and in AOC he chooses her over his duty. iirc (I don't) the calamity stuff in botw is only through diary entries etc....... how do we know that in botw he doesn't choose zelda (genuine question my botw copy is not with me rn :( )

ok i don't remember saying that exactly, but what i DO remember saying and what i'd continue to argue today is that AOC link made the choice to favor zelda over his duty much EARLIER than botw link, and that is the reason he was able to subvert his fate and remain alive to defeat the calamity in his own time. before the calamity hits and the time-travel fuckery really starts in aoc, it's implied that what we're witnessing is near 1-to-1 with the events that happen pre-calamity in botw, with a few key differences. The major difference is, of course, the existence of terrako, which sort of has a butterfly effect. Most importantly, terrako's initial interest in Link has him and zelda interacting much more closely much earlier on in the story. at the time that link and zelda meet and interact in AOC, link is a simple hylian soldier. he has either no rank or a very low rank, he's taking orders from captains and engaging in battle on basically the same level as every other solider. the first battle in the game is implied to be one of the first times he really grabs his superiors' attention with his skills in combat, specifically by taking down those moblins basically on his own. because he is the first one to run across terrako, he and zelda are given a reason to interact before either of them know what is in store for them, so their relationship has a foundation that is not built on the baggage and animosity that comes with that. In botw, in contrast, it's implied that the two of them never interacted without that baggage. what we know of their past is admittedly scarce, and most of it comes from zelda's diary. the first page reads:

After meeting with the Champions, I left to research the ancient technology, but nothing of note came of my research. The return of Ganon looms—a dark force taunting us from afar. I must learn all I can about the relics so we can stop him. If the fortune-teller's prophecy is to be believed, there isn't much time left… Ah, but turning over these thoughts in my head puts me ill at ease. I suppose I should turn in for the night. P.S. Tomorrow my father is assigning HIM as my appointed knight…

already this timeline is incongruous with what we see in AOC--in the botw timeline, link is not assigned to be zelda's knight until AFTER the champions have all been found, whereas in AOC, he accompanies her to meet with each one of them:

Lamenting the kingdom's plight, King Rhoam sent his daughter to gather pilots for the Divine Beasts. Alongside Link--whose brave conduct had earned him a role as her knight--Zelda would meet with the four candidates.

In later pages of her BOTW diary, zelda makes repeated reference to link as wielding the sword that seals the darkness, and in link's own memories he never interacts with her without it on his back. I'd wager that in the BOTW timeline, he is not appointed her knight until AFTER he has the sword. (this also accounts for the way she talks about him being appointed in her diary--she'd have no reason to be upset about it if she didn't already see him as being ahead of her in terms of prophecy progress.) This is important because this percieved slight on zelda's part colors every bit of their interactions in botw--they both percieve the other as standoffish and haughty, and thus it takes them an INCREDIBLY long time to actually communicate healthily with each other. In fact, the only time we REALLY see them communicate receptively with one another in botw is during the sanidin park memory, which is days if not hours before the calamity actually strikes. In AOC, in contrast, link and zelda behave much more like equals if not friends from the very beginning. Their interactions are of course still colored by their respective ranks, and Link is still obviously suffering from the communication issues that come with his mutism, but they very clearly have a better understanding of each other from the getgo because the foundation of their relationship was built before they knew the extent of their destinies in connection to one another.

All of this lays the foundation for the climax of their story thus far--the night of the calamity. we know how this goes in botw--Link and zelda, woefully underprepared and miles from hyrule castle, race desperately to the sanctum. it's implied that they get all the way to actually fighting calamity ganon, and only when they realize that they can't win does link take zelda's hand and run. By the time they get to fort hateno, link is ALREADY majorly wounded from their failed attempt to quell the calamity, so when he turns to face those guardians, both he and zelda know that there's no way he'll win. It's important to note that the guardians at fort hateno never actually hit link, zelda stops them in their tracks before they're able to fire, but he collapses anyway due to his previous wounds. he was already mortally wounded going into that battle, and no matter what zelda did at that point, he was always going to fall there.

In AOC, however, the story is different. the calamity comes while link and zelda are in the castle, and rather than attempting to fight it, link makes the decision to take zelda to safety immediately. Because of that choice, when we get to AOC link's "grave danger" moment with the reanimated blights, he is able to survive. the major story beats still play out the same way--confronted by an ambush of incredibly powerful enemies (this time the reanimated blights) which he likely cannot defeat on his own, link attempts to fight anyway to protect zelda, despite her protests. Zelda, terrified for link's life, reaches out to him and her power instinctively activates to save him. the difference is that, while aoc link likely couldn't have survived that fight without zelda's interference, he had no pre-existing wounds because he was not coming straight from another impossible fight. So in AOC, when zelda's power destroys the blights, link is unwounded and able to remain standing. there is no impossible decision to make regarding his life, and, crucially, he remains alive to seal calamity ganon in his current time now that zelda's power has finally awakened. None of this would have been possible had he not chosen to flee the castle during the initial strike instead of attempting to fight a losing battle anyway, and THAT is a decision he was unable to make in BOTW because, at the time of the initial strike, his fear of failure still outweighed his love for zelda.

[letaliabane]

Saving the Butler! - Valet!SimonRiley and Maid!Reader (heavily centred on our Butler Mr Kyle Garrick)

You were sitting beneath the oak tree, taking in the early morning sun while the ladies of the house had their breakfast trays in bed when suddenly the shrill ring of the bike bell rang. Turning to the gate you saw the postman who handed in a singular letter before disappearing out of site.

Glancing at the aged parchment you noticed it was directly addressed to Mr Garrick himself.

Kyle Garrick was a young butler, younger than any you had met anyway. But you could say he was a bit of an old soul. Another of Lord John's close comrades from the war. Probably one of the very few he put all his trust in, especially making him the man to oversee the running of Downton Abbey.

He was a closed off man, by the book and firm when needed. Though sometimes you saw a tiny smile on his face when a joke was particularly funny in the servant's hall.

Making your way inside, you walked down the corridor and knocked on his office door.

'Enter,' you heard behind the closed door. You gave the butler a smile, 'Morning Mr Garrick, this just arrived at the back for you.'

'Thank you Y/N,' He said, giving you a tight-lipped smile as he took the letter.

When you had disappeared out of sight and the door shut, he slipped his paper knife through the envelope, letting it fall to the desk as he unravelled the letter.

Reading the words upon the page it felt like his heart had stopped. Lunging to his feet, he grabbed his coat and was out of his office, and out the back door.

A week later

As the kitchen staff were preparing to serve tea, the rest of the servants gathered from their jobs upstairs for a brief respite. You found yourself thirsty and decided to get yourself a glass of water.

Going into the now-empty kitchen, you were quick to grab a glass from the cupboard reserved for the staff. But as you went to turn the tap at the sink, a loud 'CRASH' had you gasping in shock, nearly dropping the glass in your hand.

Turning towards the sound, you saw the pantry doors wide open, within the threshold various vegetables and fruit rolled by and gathering them into a satchel was—Mr Garrick?!

He was out of breath, a red warmth to his cheeks as if he'd been in a hurry, his usual smart and presentable attire in disarray. Mr Garrick got to his feet only to freeze at the sight of you, mouth agape, unable to speak.

'Um,' You started, taking in the satchel he tried to hide terribly at his side, 'Can I help Mr Garrick?'

'No, not at all Y/N, not at all,' He said, giving you a nod before hurrying out towards the back door, leaving you quite dumbfounded.

You soon found your wits, returning your glass to its place before returning to the hall where the staff were all seated. Mr Riley was writing in his journal, Gwen going on about her lack of confidence in Matthew Crawley because of his 'class.'

As you took your seat, Mr Riley looked to you, eyes softening. 'You alrigh' Miss?'

'I've just seen something ever so odd—' You started, only to be spoken over by Gwen.

'I'm sorry but I have standards! If you expect me to bow and courtesy to this nobody from bloody nowhere-'

'Gwen?'

The voice had you all on your feet immediately. There standing at the door dressed in a beautiful yet simple lavender day dress, curled hair done in an updo with makeup light, was the Lady of the house Liliana Montel.

Though American, she had been one of the kindest women you had served, and probably the youngest. You could see why his Lordship had fallen for her. Beauty, kindness, and smarts are all in one package. Though rumour through the country was that he married her just for her father's money, you highly doubted it by the way they doted on each other and their three girls.

In this instance, however, her usual kindness was overshadowed by shock and sternness.

'Were you just discussing Mr Crawley?' She asked, staring directly at Gwen.

'Yes, Milady I was,' The woman in question choked out in her shock.

Liliana raised her eyebrow. 'Is it your place to do so?'

Gwen gulped heavily, gathering herself before saying, 'I've got my opinions milady, same as anybody else!'

The sharp clicking of heels caught your attention as Ms Laswell came from around the corner, going to her Ladyship's side. 'May I help you in any way Milday?'

'I just came down to pass on this button from my new evening coat, seems to have come undone,' Liliana says, putting the little black button into the head housekeeper's hand, eyes quickly moving to Gwen again. 'However I was ... quite shocked by the chatter I heard as I came in. Mr Crawley is his Lordship's distant cousin and heir. You therefore should please show him the respect he is entitled to.

Gwen puffed her chest, saying with a chortle, 'You don't like him yourself! Milday I overheard you say it, you never wanted him to—'

'Enough!' Liliana silenced her, expression now sour.

You had to hold back your shock. Every maid, let alone ladies maid knew there was a strict code to be followed. Of course, being able to assist the women of the house was a privilege, but hearing the gossip and secrets behind closed doors was an even bigger one. It was never to be shared or repeated elsewhere.

'You are sailing perilously close to a line that should not be crossed! If you are to remain a ladies' maid you will not speak in that way again about the Crawleys or any of my husband's family again.'

She was quick to take her leave, leaving the servant's hall in an awkward silence as you all took your seats again.

A embarrassed and red faced Gwen remained standing in shock before stating to the room, 'A real Lady of the house would've rang for me not come down herself.'

Without another word, she plucked the button from Ms Laswell and disappeared out of sight.

Glancing towards Johnny, his face bright red as he tried but failed to hold back his laughter. Quickly turning your body towards Mr Riley you couldn't help but giggle against his shoulder, his own laughter muffled behind his mask.

'Oh I haven't had a goo' laugh like tha' in a long time,' Johnny gasped, wiping the tear from his eye.

Mr Riley shook his head. 'Gwen had it coming to her. Regret to say it but I savoured it.'

You tilted your head with your eyebrow raised, smirking. 'You don't though do you?'

There was a particular glint in his eye which told you he did not regret it. He put his journal down, turning his attention to you. 'Now tell me about this odd thing you saw Miss.'

A week later

You sat in the servants hall, this time all alone, patching up the jewels on a pair of heels for Lady Edith. In the solitude, it was easier to get the work done without any distractions.

'Where is everyone?'

The rumble of Mr Riley's familiar voice had her turning to see him walking to your side, a coat over his arm, pulling out a chair beside you.

'They've gone down to the village, some travelling salesman has arrived and settled in a pub for the night. They all wanted to see him,' You said.

He raised his eyebrow, settling into his chair. 'Alone at last it seems.'

Chuckling, you continued cleaning the shoes. Just as he looked over his lordship's coat he muttered, 'Shouldn't be without both footmen, wonder if Mr Garrick knows?'

'Ms Laswell does! She went down with the others. They probably won't be long.'

A comfortable silence fell over you both, you working on the shoes while Mr Riley cleaned up the coat. His arm grazed yours every so often but you didn't mind. It was almost comforting. It reminded you of how he had raised your hand to his cold mask's lips. You imagined what his real lips were like. Were they warm? Gentle? Chapped—'

He piped up once, distracting you from your thoughts.

'So you see to all three girls, AND you are supposed to be head housemaid? You should put in for a raise?'

You couldn't help but scoff, sending him a cheeky smile. 'What do you mean 'supposed to be'?'

He chuckled but his reply was interrupted by the shrill ring of a bell. Your smile fell. Upon the opposite wall were all bells for every room in the house when service was required. This particular one was for the front door.

Mr Riley glanced up, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, shaking his head. 'Didn't I say we should have had at least a single footmen left behind?'

'You'll have to answer it,' You say nervously, 'Mr Garrick won't like a lady's maid answering the front door.'

Assisting him up the stairs, you stood a ways away as Mr Riley answered the door. You couldn't hear very clearly, but there seemed to be a man asking for his Lordship. When Mr Riley refused, he said he knew Mr Garrick to be the butler.

Turning away from the door he came to your side, whispering frantically near your ear, 'Go and find Mr Garrick as fast as you can.'

You nodded and just as you turned away, the double doors were pushed open by the visitor. Tanned skin, black hair, he was dressed in a plaid suit, bowler hat in hand as he waltzed in.

Mr Riley looked to you once more, squeezing your hand, 'Go through the front door. Trust me.'

Giving him a nod, ignoring the man who looked you up and down you rushed out the door. Glancing around, you saw a distant figure walking down the garden path towards the house who vaguely looked like the butler.

Your heels clicked against the pebbled path, running as fast as you could towards him. 'Mr Garrick?'

The man looked up, revealing it was indeed, Mr Garrick, eyes wide in shock at the sight of you. You stopped in front of him and tried to catch your breath.

'Good God Y/N, are you—'

'No time!' You gasped, 'You're needed at the house at once. A man is asking for you!'

Mr Garrick's expression morphed into fear. With him at your side, you both rushed back towards the house. Following behind him into the library, you found the man in question, a perplexed Lord John and Mr Riley.

'Beg pardon your lordship!' Mr Garrick said as he rushed into the room.

Mr RIley glanced towards him then turned at your arrival, coming to your side as you tried to quietly catch your breath, pressing a firm had to your back as if to steady you.

'You two can go—'

'No!' John bellowed over the butler, stopping you and Mr Riley in your tracks, 'No one is going anywhere! Do I take it you know this man Garrick?'

The unknown man grinned, but it wasn't in a friendly way. More like to tease. 'You gonna tell 'em or shall I?'

'I'm not going to!' Mr Garrick said, rather angrily. 'This is Thomas Grig. We grew up together.'

Thomas scoffed, stepping up towards Mr Garrick. 'That's an understatement. We were brothers—'

'We were not!' The butler opposed, shoving his hand off when he went to embrace him. His smile no longer remained, stepping away from Mr Garrick.

Mr Garrick's eyes jumped nervously from each person in the room, head hanging low. 'This was long before I was taken in by an orphanage. But we grew up in a poor part of Manchester. And that led to us ... to steal to survive.'

You angrily stared at Thomas who looked around in glee as if proud of his act. You couldn't believe he would try to shame Mr Garrick for only trying to survive.

'He turned up in the village a week or so ago with no warning. On the run of course. Wanting a place to hide, and of course, for money!' Mr Garrick explained, 'He was wanted for some petty crime that he is obviously guilty of—'

'Hey steady on!' Thomas growled, shoving the butler. You felt Mr Riley stiffen beside you, fist tight as he glowered at the man. Quietly, you reached for his hand, and his eyes were quick towards you, briefly taking your hand into his.

Mr Garrick sighed, 'He blackmailed me, saying if I didn't help he would expose my past. I put him up in one of the empty cottages. I couldn't buy food from the village. Would've raised too many questions. So I stole, from the kitchens here. Y/N saw me,' He sighed, pointing towards you.

You shook your head. 'Mr Garrick I wouldn't 'ave said anything Mr—'

'My Lord,' Mr Garrick said over you, looking to his lordship guiltily, 'I understand if my resignation is needed.'

John, who had remained silent this whole time taking in the encounter, cleared his throat, turning to Thomas.

'So why have you come here today? Especially if he has done everything you have asked of him?'

Thomas scoffed, glaring towards Mr Garrick, before, with absolute gall, he sat down on one of the great sofas. 'Because he hasn't! He didn't give me any money!''

'if I did you would've just come back for more. You are nothing but greedy!' Mr Garrick muttered, Thomas laughing.

John glanced between the two before smiling. 'Mr Grigg I'll tell you what's going to happen. When I've given you twenty pounds you will leave Downton immediately and we will never see you again.'

Thomas grimaced. 'We will have to see?'

'If you return I will ensure you are convicted for theft and blackmail,' John continued, even as Thomas jumped to his feet in a rumbling mess, 'You will serve five to ten years in His Majesty's custody.'

The man eyed the money, grabbing the money with a huff. 'One day your lot will fall, you'll have to toe the line like the rest of us.'

John smiled brightly. 'Thankfully for Kyle Garrick, that day has not come.'

Thomas glared at Mr Garrick before turning on his heel and stomping out of the room. Mr RIley pulled you behind him as the man stomped past, quickly following him, probably to ensure he had left.

'I'll take it my resignation has not been accepted?' You heard Mr Garrick ask quietly. It was the least confident you had ever seen him. It almost made your heart break a little at the fear in his voice.

John turned to him, gripping the man's shoulder. 'We all have chapters we would rather keep unpublished.'

'You and I are gonna have to treat Mr Garrick like a God for a month to calm his nerves! He'll be afraid it'll change the way we think of him,' Mr Riley said from a corner of the garden. Once again, night had fallen, Mr Riley's mask was off as he smoked, while you turned your back as you sat beneath the oak tree.

You giggled, 'Well we mustn't let it! We should admire him more because of it!'

'Either way, it will change the way we think of him somehow. It always does.'

You couldn't help but frown at his words, shaking your head. 'I don't see why. I shouldn't care what I found out about you, whatever it was. It wouldn't alter my opinion one bit!'

There was a long pause after you spoke you almost thought Mr Riley had gone inside. It was the crushing of cigarette beneath boot heel that brought you back into the moment, Mr Riley grumbling, as if to himself.

'But it would. It certainly would.'

Call of Duty Masterlist Happy New Year all!~ New chapter is here! Thought I'd make this one about Kyle, but also put a bit of angst at the end. What could Mr Riley be referring to ;) Taglist @lostintransist @teapartydreams @darkangel4121

[little-miss-fandom-freak]

could you do Dr phosphorus x former justice league member reader who feels betrayed by them simply because they were falsely accused without hearing them out

Oooooo LOVE IT

Dr. Phosphorus X Former Hero!Reader

You found yourself resting on the one if the many balconies looking over the palace grounds. The sun casted a beautiful array of warm colors as it began to set; your team was below, drinking and partying with the guards of the palace. It was almost sweet seeing them all enjoy themselves, it almost reminded you of your old team...

You were snapped out of your depressive thoughts at the sound of light footsteps behind you.

"Not a fan of the festivities, babe?" The gravelly voice spoke behind you. You could feel Phosphorus' heat radiate off of him as he sat down beside you.

You shrugged as you picked at the chipping paint of the balcony railing. "I've got a lot on my mind..."

Phosphorus pulled a metal flask from his coat pocket and handed to you. "Care to share with the group?"

You smiled softly as you took the flask; the heat from his hands burned the metal, but didn't bother you in the slightest. You took a small sip as you debating on what to say.

With a sigh, you handed back the flask before you spoke. "I was just... thinking about my old team."

"The Justice League?" You nodded, your gaze turning to the team below. Phosphorus took note of your gaze before he chugged some of the alcohol. "It's funny, we've been together almost as long as you've been in Belle Reve, and you've never said what really went down that day."

"You never asked." You shot back.

He chuckled. "Guess I didn't... Do you want to talk about it?"

You closed your eyes, trying hard not to lose control at the memories. "We were on a mission in France... some terrorist group tried to blow up the Eiffel Tower. We stopped them, of course, but when I was trying to save a group of citizens I... I dropped one..." Tears threatened to spill from you eyes as you held back your sobs. "She was just a kid and-and I tried to save her but I... I didn't make it..."

Phosphorus was silent, letting you have your moment of peace. You sniffed as you tried to clear up your tears. "According to eye witnesses, I purposely dropped her. The jury didn't believe me, the judge didn't believe me, hell, even my own team didn't try to believe me. So here I am."

Phosphorus clenched his fist as he tried to keep calm. "But it was a mistake, why didn’t your team defend you?"

You let out a pitiful laugh. "When half the world is already against heroes, they'll do anything to see us behind bars. The Justice League couldn't handle any more controversy, so it was just easier to put me away than fight for my freedom. I don't really blame them-"

"Well I do!" He exclaimed, startling you. "Look if that League of Ass-Clowns can't defend one of their own, then some team they are. You'd never see anyone in this team not defending one of our own. What a bunch of bitches..." He sighed as he held your hand and pulled you twords him. "You shouldn't even be here. You didn't deserve it. We're all scum, we're monsters. But you... you're innocent."

You shook your head. "It was just fate."

Phosphorus rolled his metaphorical eyes as he groaned. "There you go with that fate bullshit again."

You chuckled. "What? I've had literal gods and aliens on my team. At this point, fate is all I can trust." You gently rested your head on his clothed shoulder, looking out at the sunset. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Why?" He asked softly. "You could be free right now, living a normal life. Instead you're stuck here, with us freaks."

"It's because of you "freaks". I wouldn't have met you if I hadn't ended up in here."

Phosperpus took in your words, letting them sink in as wondered how lucky he was. Not only did he find love again, but it was with someone who looked past the green flames and saw the man beneath. You never saw him as a monster, only a man.

He placed a small "kiss" on your head and leaned his head against your own. The two of watched as the sun slowly casted a shadow over the land.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

I hope you enjoyed this and if you have anything you would like me to personally respond to, message me or put it in my ask box because as of right now, Tumblr won't let me respond to comments :)

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Chapter 16

Chapter 15

Thank you @passthechloroform for providing the video for this chapter!

♡———♡

The next day - two visitors walked through the bustling Tanzanite market with familiar steps.

Luke: Hey, are you really going?

Clavis: They said they wanted to meet us. There's no reason to refuse, is there?

Luke: But, you know, their intentions are pretty obvious...

The building in front of the two men, who had stopped walking, was the headquarters of the trading company that controls Tanzanite's tourism industry...

Luke: Aren't we going to get scolded?

Clavis: Haha, don't be so scared. We just entered the building without permission the other day, right?

Luke: After kicking down the "no entry for non-personnel" sign.

Clavis: Don't worry, just relax. I'm a professional at apologizing.

Luke: That's not something to be proud of.

Sighing at his brother's boisterous laughter, he heads towards the entrance where people are coming and going.

As they enter the lobby, crowded with tourists, the person they are looking for immediately comes running over.

Kumush: Thank you for coming. My name is Kumush, and I am the president of the Tourism Association.

Kumush: Please, come this way.

-- At the same time.

Silvio: You...

Emma: It's a misunderstanding!

Silvio: What is?

In the middle of the pure white hallway of the royal court, filled with a sacred and solemn atmosphere, Silvio, whom I happened to pass by, stopped in his tracks instead of walking on.

The people passing by were also glancing at us, and cold sweat trickled down my cheeks.

(How did this happen?)

Silvio: You're the one who made them kneel and cry, aren't ya?

Emma: As I said, it's a misunderstanding!

Aisha: Lady Emma, I will serve you with all my heart and soul, so please give me another chance!

Nadia: We will devote our lives to you, Lady Emma!

(...This is troubling.)

Prostrating themselves before me, foreheads pressed to the floor, were the two maids who were previously punished by Azel.

They seem to have regained their sanity more than back then, but the moment they pass me in the castle, they assume this position faster than a gust of wind and repeatedly apologize.

Emma: I really don't mind, so please raise your heads.

No matter how many times I say it, my words don't reach them.

I'm at my wit's end, feeling like crying.

Silvio: Jokes aside...

(It was a joke...)

Silvio: Look at how frightened they are. God must have done somethin', right?

Emma: That's true, but I don't know what he did...

Silvio: You know, don't ya? As you can see, they were threatened.

Silvio: Imagine this. If God told ya, "You'll die if you don't do good deeds tomorrow," what would you do?

Emma: ...Even if I was doubtful, I might try to do good deeds.

(Because God's prophecies are a "guaranteed reality.")

Silvio: They were subjected to the same thing. The prophecy of a tragic future turns reality into a nightmare.

Silvio: I don't know what the condition is to wake up from the nightmare...

Silvio: But the fact that they're eager to serve you with all their heart and soul... doesn't that mean something?

(Now that you mention it...)

Silvio: Ha, you're really favored by that greedy bastard, aren't ya?

Silvio's words made my heart leap for some reason.

Emma: Why do you say that?

Silvio: I don't know what these two did, but it means he's set them up to be your absolute allies, right?

Silvio: Even if he does this, it ain't worth a penny to him.

Silvio: The fact that he's doing somethin' that doesn't make him money clearly shows how he values you.

(...)

*flashback*

Azel: I remembered I had an urgent matter. It's extremely troublesome, but...

(...I still don't know the true meaning of that urgent matter.)

(But, if in fact he was just doing everything he could so I wouldn't be humiliated again...)

When my perception changes, my heart also sounds the alarm.

Emma: --Perhaps, that's not it.

Emma: I think it's not for my sake, but for revenge and to protect himself.

Silvio: What's that about?

Emma: I can't tell you the details, but...

(To prevent me from going crazy with the aphrodisiac and attacking Azel.)

(There must be no other meaning.)

*flashback*

Emma: Is it wrong to fall in love with the Living God?

Azel: It's absolutely forbidden.

Azel: Because it's troublesome.

*flashback over*

I let out a small breath and turned to the trembling maids.

Emma: If you have time, there's one thing I'd like to ask of you...

Silvio's guess seemed to be correct, and the two, raising their heads, had their eyes shining as if they had found hope.

Emma: I wonder if you could request an audience with His Majesty the King?

Nadia & Aisha: "We'll call His Majesty right away!"

The two regained their energy like fish in water and disappeared in an instant.

It's normally impossible for a mere book merchant to take the king's time, but they made an immediate decision.

Silvio: They might grant ya any wish, if it's yours.

Emma: I've learned to be careful with my words.

Silvio: If it's bestowed by God, use it without hesitation.

Silvio: By the way, are you goin' to do business with the king?

Emma: No, there's something I want to ask him.

-

Enis: I apologize for the wait.

Before long, I was ushered into the throne room, and His Majesty Ennis welcomed me warmly.

(...The fact that I can summon even the king immediately is scary.)

Enis: Prince Silvio, it's good to see you too.

Silvio: Sorry to interrupt. I'm just an escort.

Silvio: I was curious about what this woman wants to ask the king.

Enis: Oh? I'll answer anything I can.

The silver-haired king smiles cheerfully, not seeming offended by the sudden summons.

Emma: I apologize for taking your time during your busy schedule.

(This might not be something I should ask for an audience and take your time, but...)

Emma: About the prophecy of the end left by the first Living God...

Emma: Prince Azel said it would be good to ask Your Majesty Enis, so I came here.

Enis: ......

Enis: ...I see, the Living God...

(His face changed color...?)

Just like the diviner woman I met in the alley before, it was a reaction as if he wanted to avoid "touching the end."

Enis: Any diviner or member of the royal court knows the prophecy of the end...

Enis: The fact that you specifically named me must be a divine order to give you information that only I know.

Enis sits deeply in his throne and looks up at the ceiling.

His appearance, as if he is thinking of a distant place, is filled with anguish, and I exchange glances with Silvio.

Enis: Of course, I will answer your question.

Enis: But before that, would you listen to one request of mine?

Enis, his gaze back on me, gives me a sincere look.

I don't know what the "request" is, but I don't feel any malice in it.

Emma: I'll be happy to accept if it's something I can do.

Enis: Thank you. Actually--.

-

Azel: I refuse.

Back at the temple, Azel's first words as he was repairing the outer wall were not "welcome back."

Emma: I haven't said anything yet.

Azel: The fact that you came back in a hurry at this hour speaks for itself.

Azel: You have two choices: give up, or have the wealthy gentleman next to you pay me.

Silvio: Why the hell should I pay ya when there's no profit in it for me?

Azel: Prince Silvio, I hear there's a custom of offering coins in Kougyoku.

Azel: It's a wonderful system of faith where you offer money as a thank you for God's blessings...

Silvio: That's what he says, woman.

Emma: I don't want to be squeezed dry anymore.

Azel: Then there's no room for discussion. I'm busy, so...

Azel skillfully applies a glue-like substance made by adding water to lime, as if filling the gaps in the crumbling stone wall.

Emma: It's a request from Enis.

Azel: Why should I listen to the words of a mere king?

Emma: Please, just this once... You just need to show your face at the evening party for a little while.

Tonight, an impromptu evening party hosted by the king will be held at Tanzanite Castle.

The party, which will be attended by influential people from the Land of Illusions, seems to have the intention of gathering information on the unstable situation following the recent riot and showing that God's protection is still in place to build peace of mind for the people.

Emma: I heard that you don't really like parties, Prince Azel...

Azel: Yes. The reason I don't want to attend gatherings of people... Surely you understand, intelligent as you are?

Emma: It's because the participants get restless, right?

Azel: ...What kind of reason is that?

Emma: If you were to attend the party, Prince Azel, the people around you would surely be distracted.

Emma: They wouldn't be able to enjoy chatting, and the party meant for enjoyment would turn into a gathering to worship God...

Emma: I thought that you wouldn't want that to happen.

(I've noticed while spending time with you that despite your mean personality, your kindness shows through here and there.)

I felt that my guess that he was intentionally not participating out of consideration for others was accurate.

Azel: The me in your mind is quite compassionate, isn't he?

Azel: Unfortunately, I have no such noble purpose. It's just bothersome.

Azel: However, it was unexpected that Enis would ask you to do an errand.

Azel: The fact that he's resorting to such a poor way to buy time means that he still hasn't come to terms with the prophecy in his heart...

Azel: It's pathetic that he still can't let go of his emotions even though he's become a puppet.

(Puppet...?)

As if to say the conversation was over, Azel continued his repair work silently.

It seemed he had no intention of listening even if I brought up the king's name, but this was within my expectations.

(When asking Azel for a favor, payment is an absolute condition...)

(However, I don't have an endless supply of wealth like Silvio.)

(I'm glad I prepared a secret weapon before coming here.)

Emma: Prince Azel.

I take out what I had in my pocket and hold it out in front of his mystical eyes.

His work stops.

Azel: ..."Special Service Ticket that grants any wish"...

Silvio: ...!

Ignoring Silvio, who suddenly burst out laughing, I offer the ticket to Azel with both hands.

Emma: This has a monetary value equivalent to repaying all the debt I owe you.

Azel: ...Are you stupid?

Emma: But as a special offer! If you grant my wish, I will give you this ticket for free.

Azel: ...

Emma: Please don't look at me with pity.

Silvio: My stomach hurts... A "do anything you want" ticket for a God... I'm impressed... Haha...!

Emma: You're laughing too much, Prince Silvio!

(I knew it... I knew the chances were slim... but I'm starting to feel embarrassed.)

Azel: ...It's embarrassing, isn't it? Trying to bribe a God with a cheap, childish ticket like this.

Emma: It's a... luxury ticket...

Azel: It has no value to me. In the first place, you still have a huge debt.

Azel: Above all, I am a God who grants people's wishes--aren't you giving it to the wrong person?

(...I want to rewind time right now.)

I cover my flushed face with my hands, but peek at the God's face through the gaps in my fingers--

Azel: Only a fool like you would think of such a ridiculous thing.

(...)

For just a moment--in a fleeting instant that I almost mistook for an illusion, a soft, moon-like smile appeared on his face.

(No, I... I seem to be weak to this face.)

I quickly averted my eyes, feeling as if I had touched something forbidden.

Silvio: Woman, you couldn't seduce the God?

Emma: ...He was too tough.

It seems Silvio didn't see it, so I pretend nothing happened.

Silvio: Well, the king also said "it would be difficult," right? There's no point in givin' up.

Silvio: If you have time to deal with the God, why don't ya go back and prepare for the evenin' party?

Emma: You're right. I think the maids are waiting for me--

As I try to give up and leave Azel, he grabs my hand.

Azel: Why are you attending the evening party?

Emma: His Majesty the King invited me.

Silvio: You wannna gather information for the Rhodolite guys, right?

Emma: That's part of it.

Azel: You, who are drowning in debt, should have the important task of making my dinner.

Emma: There are leftovers from yesterday, so you won't have any trouble with your meal, Prince Azel.

Azel: ...

Emma: Is it... not okay?

(I was invited to the evening party and ended up replying, but maybe that was too hasty.)

Although he doesn't have his usual frown in front of Silvio, I feel pressure from his gentle smile.

Azel: Have you forgotten that you are a debtor? You must prioritize God above all else.

Emma: Prince Azel, could it be that...

Emma: ...are you lonely?

Silvio: ...!

In contrast to Silvio, who burst out laughing again, Azel's smile stiffened.

Azel: You... you have some nerve to insult a God?

Emma: It wasn't an insult, it was an observation.

Azel: That's not something to be proud of. I'm actually relieved that you won't be here.

Emma: Well then, I'll be off to the evening party.

Azel: ...

Emma: Ah, I finally understand. Actually, you're worried-- Ow!

In the end, as always, he pulled my cheek and forcibly silenced me.

Azel: Maybe it's time to consider imprisonment for blasphemy. After paying the fine, of course.

(Not good, not good!)

Silvio: Ha, don't worry so much. I'll accompany you.

Silvio: An escort is essential for Tanzanite evening parties, right?

Silvio: If God isn't coming, I have no choice but to be your partner.

Silvio was grinning broadly, and it was clear that it wasn't just out of goodwill.

(But I'd feel uneasy going alone, so I'll take advantage of his offer this time.)

Azel: ...You're quite the curious one, Prince Silvio.

Silvio: I don't want to hear that from ya, the one who's lettin' an unknown woman live here.

Silvio: If you ain't happy about it, you can come along. You love free meals, don't ya?

Azel: A God cannot easily be involved in worldly affairs.

Silvio: What's that, you money-hungry bastard?

Azel: In the first place, Emma, do you really intend to go?

Azel: Your little head seems to have already forgotten what happened at the royal court.

(He might actually be worried about me.)

(...This is awkward.)

Emma: I'll be careful.

Silvio: I don't know what happened, but I'll be there, so it'll be fine. You owe me one.

As if to rescue me from Azel's clutches, Silvio puts his hand on my shoulder and casually pulls me closer.

Azel: ...Well, fine.

Azel: I don't care at all, not even a little bit, where you go or what you do.

Azel maintains the smile of a merciful God.

But his eyebrows were faintly furrowed.

As if he had seen something unpleasant.

-

Clavis: --Now then, Kumushu. What is this matter that we must discuss away from prying eyes?

Unlike the bustling lobby, the reception room upstairs was filled with silence.

Kumush: I don't like beating around the bush, so let me ask you directly.

Kumush: Are you familiar with the world's calamity, the beast of ruin, the renowned figure known as the ever-victorious general?

Clavis & Luke: "................."

Clavis: ...Of course, we are.

Luke: Why is his name coming up?

Kumush: Actually, there's something I'd like to consult with you about.

The lump that was taken out of the wooden box placed under the table changed the atmosphere of the room.

Clavis: ...This isn't a funny joke, is it?

.

.

.

Chapter 16 Letter

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

I just wanna say, I love Silvio in this route. I love that he's kind of an acquaintance and not just a full-on jerk to Emma. And I love that he's making Azel jealous LOL.

[tuesday-teyz]

By popular demand,

What in the everloving happened in chapter 40

Major spoilers under the cut. Trigger warnings relevant to BR apply.

Tommy organizes a festival. He claims it is to try and lure out their previous attackers into revealing themselves. Purpled, disguised as him, makes a public appearance while Tommy himself sends Fran out to find and bring Wilbur to him. It's important to know that we do not see or know what Tommy does prior to getting there.

TDLR: br!Phil is suicidal, br!Tommy killed Clara, Tommy started the fire, br!Wilbur's death was premediated murder, br!Fundy was not in the castle.

I will start the explanation with the events after POV switch to Wilbur, but if there's anything that confuses you prior to that, you can let me know in asks or under this post.

Note that I rephrase or restructure things that have been mentioned in the chapter itself and the full explanation of motivations will come in chapter 41.

The dialogue itself is more or less straightforward. The facts from Tommy's confessions are these:

1) Emperor Philza's assassination attempt 3 years prior was not an assassination. It was his attempt at ending it all disgused as assasination by Tommy and Clara to prevent the public from freaking out.

2) Philza left a will that appoints Clara as regent until Tommy is 21 or otherwise ready for the position. Something goes wrong however, and Clara tries to get rid of Tommy.

3) Tommy gets Quackity's help to arrange an accident that kills Clara. Tommy is vehement that it was not a necessity but a choice he made.

4) The guilt over Clara's death drives Tommy to an attempt on his own life. Fundy, 2 years old at the time, inadvertently prevents it by stumbling upon him in the process.

Then the fire happens. Wilbur tries to break into the castle as it burns because Fundy is sleeping there, and Tommy shows him a sneaky way to get in (learned from Michael, mentioned earlier in the chapter). Tommy however knows that Fundy is not in the castle anymore, so he is intentionally misleading Wilbur.

Tommy was the one who started the fire. This is alluded to earlier in the chapter with the things he purchases in the market: flint and steel, and brimstone (a component of gunpowder; highly flammable). The fire gives him several advantages:

An important thing is that Tommy doesn't want Wilbur to die a long and painful death, but rather something that can be over quick. He also must witness the death himself, or otherwise it will be the same position as six years ago, not knowing for sure if he could have survived. Tommy does not expect or plan for them to get so far into the flames, and at that point the chances of both of them dying there increase dramatically. He stops biding time for Wilbur to get himself killed and uses the dagger.

1) No witnesses around;

2) Any evidence will be destroyed;

3) Death can be blamed on fire or smoke.

So, Tommy started the fire, tricked Wilbur into jumping straight into it, and waited on a good moment to strike.

The jump from the window was not an attempt. Tommy was cut off by fire, so it was either try his chances there or burn with Wilbur, and he already made the choice in that regard. Again, the full extent of his motivations shall go in the next chapter, but you can study the implications to start putting the picture together.

[delightedchips]

fave scene rn: ekko letting vi go back to jinx despite literally everything (an incomprehensible tangent)

ekko watching vi still stand on a resolve that he had abandoned long ago and still understanding her for it is soooo. Like knock me on the head w a brick instead. Just my own interpretations of these lil guys whose hearts r too big to contain in themselves . Awesomesauce

vi reveals her current predicament: she doesn't want to leave jinx . not again . even if she had become a direct witness of what her sister had become. top it off that the last surviving semblance of family she has tied with her powder also testifying that what she saw was real: powder is gone

but i just. Like. Ekko doesn't immediately lash out or anything. He just goes on to say the same thing he had already said when they were looking at the mural, she can't be changed

And it's so .. ekko says these things like they're a script of some kind . He has thought of these things before, hell, he has said these things to himself before . their first conversations about jinx entails the same thing

He shows her the mural. He tells her Jinx is a byproduct of choice. She functions from an innate desire for destruction. Powder is Gone and he is so sure of it . Viscerally against any belief that says otherwise

yet despite everything. when vi says this

HE DOESNT EVEN. THERES THIS FACE HE MAKES LIKE.... FUFKDKCCUCKKKM.

Like. There's this look of. It's as if he's saying Yeah Of course you would. Of course you'd want to try. Of course you can't not have even a pint of some semblance of love for her still . Of course you can't swallow it back either . I remember feeling that way too. You're as stubborn as your sister. (As me) . Of course you won't be stopped unless you have absolutely tried everything . Of course you would

And to his understanding, that pursuit is a hopeless one

And yet. YET

HE STILL ALLOWS HER TO TRY .. PURSUE THIS OTHERWISE PERCEIVED DEADEND CHASE .. EKKO WHATTTJSJDD .....

AND it feels so insane. despite all the hate you have harboured for jinx you still let vi tread down the same path you did and otherwise probably regretted .. you still let her walk right back into the brutal pursuit of discovering the truth ...

it can imply a lot of things imo .. 🐢

Ekko wants Vi to find that resolve of his that Powder is gone herself (see point 3 why)

Ekko actually, genuinely, wants to see what if she pursued her instead? What if she tried to save her? Would it have changed anything? Would it be different if it's her? An underlying hope he won't explicitly acknowledge ..?

Ekko just knows no matter what he says Vi's heart will always be too big to tame. And in a way Ekko reflects the same attribute. He understands her, while it could be because he grew up with her, i think it's because he relates too. Ekko IS an emotional person . His decisions often stem not that he can do something, but he can't help but do it . He is rational and smart by nature so often these decisions don't always harbor the worst of consequences as the Firelights leader .. he can't help but hate silco so he leads the people well . He can't help but want zaun to prosper so he risks trusting caitlyn, an enforcer . he can't help but love the firelights so he breaks that 5 minute limit to avenge his fallen comrade . he can't help but have an attachment to the people he once loved so he hesitates delivering the final blow to his best friend in a bloody fistfight . he can't help but understand vi so he lets her go

can u tell i love point 3 the most . ekko & vi's paralleling natures .. your love too big you fools. i love u dearly

And there's the hug :[ <3 despite the risk of losing each other again they still allow the other to uptake their pursuits. EUGH . (sorry. Small #arcane critical u can skip: this should've been more emotionally explored in s2 btw. Vi learning Ekko is still alive after the explosion. Crazy stuff. I'm crazy . I'm not sane. man)

anyway yes. Just a random tangent. I love vi & ekko. they're one of, if not, my fave duo in the entire story . their hearts too big. Their love too strong.. they'll kill them!!!!

[nyxthedeity]

𝓓𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭

Synopsis: When Fred finally convinced her girlfriend to come with her for Summer break, she didn't expect for his family to be so welcoming and to witness something very intimate.

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Fem!reader

🍂🍊🏉🏏

"Y/n please!"

The girl just had to sigh for nth time from her boyfriend's persistent plea for uer to just come with him for the summer. Fred cannot stop his mouth to run all about you in his family and now he wanted her to meet them too.

"Fred, I... I already told you that I'm still not sure." Y/n replied, folding up her clean laundry to pack in her luggage. "Plus, my Mum really expects me to come home."

But Fred is firm about his request, "She'll understand, she likes me fine! I'm sure she'll be delighted for you to come with me."

The girl stopped and really ponder. It wasn't as if she doesn't want to go... It's just eating her alive! Meeting such a big family makes her feel the pressure. There's so many to win over and she's not really social to start. It's gonna go to chaos and the least she wanted is to give a bad impression to the family of the man she absolutely adores.

"I... I don't know, Fred." She simply said after the long pause. She truly felt guilty, but she doesn't know what to do if ever she'd say yes and she's standing in their front door. "I see you fidgeting, princess." He suddenly said, making Y/n suddenly feel her hands picking the skin of her right thumb.

Fred walked closer to his girl and made her face him. Y/n really likes how he looks when he's genuine. "Are you just nervous? Cause I can assure you, sugar, there's nothing to be afraid of." He flashes a sweet smile as his hand caress her arm in assurance.

But the girl knew that. It's just too overwhelming. "I know... I guess I'm just too clueless on what to do. You're my first boyfriend after all, how in the world will I suppose to know how to act in front of the parents of my boyfriend?"

"I fell in love with you the moment you accidentally blow up a potion in Snape's face, I think they'll like you just fine." Fred chuckles and she did too. Maybe he is right, maybe everything will be alright than she thought.

She never knew someone like Fred would change her mind about anything, and here she is... Smiling because she just caved in into his boyfriends eyes.

"Fine... I'll sent a letter to my Mum."

"Yes!" Fred instantly had a big smile on his face and started to help with her clothes. He knows that he'll the be one to carry it anyway as they arrive in their home.

---

Now, Y/n had never seen a more warm and cozy home. Is this why Fred is so persistent to tagging her along? Dishes is doing itself, the mushrooms and carrots are being sauteed in pan itself.

Fred was dragging both their luggage as Ginny and Ron just dropped them somewhere to hug their Mum after so long.

When she and Fred stepped into the living room, she was expecting Molly to freeze and raise her eyebrows but instead, she instantly smiled.

"Oh Fred, dear, is this the lady you've been mentioning?" Before Y/n knew it she was kissed in both her cheeks with a very warm lady and immediately embraced her. "You must be Y/n dear, how wonderful to finally meet you." The older womna says, breaking their hug.

Such words made her feel so much like home. Her hugs felt like her Mum too. In just a few seconds, she's very sure that she'd be just fine.

Fred immediately grabbed her hand to sit on the dinner table and watch as Molly serves out the dishes. Fred pulls out a chair for his girlfriend and sat next to her, grabbing her hand to hold it under the table.

As everyone settled down, she already got a big smile adorning her face. Just before everyone started to dig in, Fred leaned into her hear, "If bringing you in my home brings that much smiles out of you, I might just bring you here often."

She can only roll her eyes at that before her plate is mountain tall with how much Molly is insisting for her to eat.

---

The sunsets make everything much warmer. The house is settling down from the chaos just this afternoon. The breeze are much gentle and everything seemed golden.

Especially Fred.

He's outside, giving his broom a fly while a music player is with him. George decided to annoy Ron a bit more so Fred is out alone.

Fred hopepd down from his broom for a moment to change the disc. Finding something through the stacks. He gleamed when found something.

Their eyes met, and Y/n immediately smiled at him. Fred did too and motioned for her to come and join him.

She did, opening the front door and letting herself step into the golden grass thanks to the gold rays of sunlight. It also makes his prankster of a boyfriend look angelic.

When she reached him, she can now hear the soft melody of a classic song. "It's my favourite." Fred said, looking at her so lovingly. His eyes are so fun to watch. It changes a lot depending what's on his mind.

Sometimes his eyes are soft. Sometimes it's full of mischief. And she's very glad that she had the chance to gaze at it so close.

Then came the chorus, when the music suddenly felt so natural in their background. Fred reaches out once agian for her hands, taking it on his and swayed along the music.

She had a bit of a giggle with how ridiculous their moves be, suddenly swaying gently to abrupt silly movements.

When Fred heard those giggles, he swear he can hear that for all his life and never shall he ever get tired of it. Her smiles, the way she glows under the sunset. She looked heavenly. He is definitely proud he got a girlfriend before George does.

They were in their own little world when Molly saw them by the window. Swaying around and the laugh from their hearts can be faintly heard. She never once saw Fred so sincere before. And perhaps that love does change everything.

"They're disgusting, aren't they?" George said as she suddenly came up behind his mother, making Molly jump a little. But she light heartedly slap George on his arm

"Oh leave your brother be!" She says, looking back at them who was still dancing around in the field. "He's in love."

🍂🏉🏏🍊

I am not as satisfied at this one compared to the others because I don't like how there's not much of a fluidity. Though if you have any advice in improving that I will take it with a good heart! Give this author some help 😞

This is inspired by my vacation this school break. I saw my brother and his girlfriend dance along in the beach and I could only think about Fred taking a break from all the chaos he causes and be with his beloved, hope you like it!

If you want to request anything or ask me anything, do not ever hesitate, sweetings!

Your dearest author,

NyxTheDeity

[lexosaurus]

Everything Was White: Part 25

[see all chapters]

read on: [ao3] [ffn] (please read tags)

Summary: After being accidentally revealed to the public and taken away by the government, Danny deals with the aftermath of his time with the GIW.

****

"You can't stay inside forever, Danny," his mother told him that morning as he tried to eat his sad, soggy cereal.

"I know, Mom," he snapped. Because he did know, Captain Obvious. But it still didn't make today any less nerve-racking.

"You'll be fine. Your friends will be there with you, and Sam has her car, right? So the only walking you'll be doing is from her car to inside the restaurant."

Danny scowled at his spoon. "It's not the walking I have a problem with, and it’s not like I’m using my crutches anyway."

There was no saying how long they would be out, and using his crutches for longer than a few minutes was still exhausting. So no, that wasn’t the reason he was so on edge about this.

The truth was, this was officially the first time Daniel Fenton Phantom was going to be out and about in public. 

"People will leave you alone. And worst case, just leave!" Maddie offered a smile as she plucked his now-empty bowl from the table. "This is a big step, but your therapists have been telling you for some time now that you need to do this. It'll be fine, you'll see."

It was just lunch at the Nasty Burger. He'd done it hundreds of times before. And this time, because his parents were just so proud of him for taking this big step, sweetie, Jack had even left him a crisp twenty-dollar bill on the table that morning.

Apparently, Jack had chalked his last wad of missing cash up to ghosts. Assuming that Danny would ever do something like stealing was simply unthinkable. 

Danny went about his morning, showering, putting fresh clothes on, and combing his hair no fewer than three times because what if he couldn't convince the public that he was normal? What if they all saw him as a grotesque, dead monster in a human skin suit? Or worse, a traumatized, skinny, weak kid that the Guys in White had trained into their pet plaything?

No, he wasn't a dog, and he could cover up all his fears under shampoo, washed clothes, and a friendly smile that he tried to practice in the mirror but felt silly enough to stop.

And then the doorbell rang.

His core sizzled, and he was almost too slow to stamp it out, to remind himself that it was just Sam and Tucker, that there were no government agents at the door, Danny.

His therapist had said this adrenaline response was natural. Still, it infuriated him the way his heart pounded and fingers tingled pins and needles whenever someone approached the other side of a closed door.

"Danny!" Sam bounded through the entrance.

He barely remembered to put on that smile he'd practiced in front of the mirror that morning. "Hey, Sam! Tucker!"

"Dude!" Tucker pranced inside like he owned the place. "This has been such a long time coming!"

"Yeah, it was kind of—kind of hard for me to get out before."

"No worries, man!" Tucker offered him a high five, and though Danny rolled his eyes, he met his friend halfway.

"Eating alone with Tucker has been torture," Sam lamented, her dark purple lips setting in a pout. "There's only so many times I can take him drooling over his beef environmental disasters by myself before I lose my sanity."

"Well, don't worry, Sammykins, because now you'll have to witness the power of two of us drooling over our beef environmental disasters!"

Sam slugged Tucker in the arm, and although Danny could see there was little power behind it, Tucker still made a big show about gripping his shoulder and wailing, "You wound me, woman!”

"Shut up!" Sam cackled.

Danny watched the dramatic performance as if he were standing on the other side of a glass wall. Every time the three of them hung out, he noticed these little moments more and more. Moments where Sam and Tucker seemed like they were from another planet.

Or maybe Danny was the one from another planet. The hopeless alien trying to blend in with the humans.

"Alright, let's go?" Danny asked, not wanting to delve further into his depressed psychology.

Tucker snapped out of his performance. "Let's go!"

"My car's in your driveway. You good to get in on your own? I mean—uh—" Sam stammered, glancing at Danny's wheelchair.

Right. He hadn't driven with his friends before.

"I'm good. You just—um, throw it in the—you know what? I'll show you." Danny transferred from the couch and headed for the door.

It was warm for a typical January day in Amity Park. There was no paparazzi outside their house either—thank god. Danny was last year's sensational hit, and his overnight fame seemed to be beginning to die down.

Not that he was becoming obscure by any means. He was still on the front page of Reddit nearly every day, and his tag on TikTok had thousands of videos and millions of interactions. But the constant bombardment of people stalking him outside his house was finally dispelling.

Of course, this only added fuel to the fire that was his parents’ recent insistence on him going outside. The paparazzi would find him eventually as they always did, and there was nothing he could do about people recording videos of him to post on social media, but Danny would at least get a semblance of normalcy.

He followed them out of the house and into the driveway where Sam’s car—a hybrid, she’d been very proud to show off—was waiting for them. He climbed into the car. The passenger seat, because although Danny was fully expecting Tucker to call shotgun, he hadn't.

"So I just put it in the back?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. The brakes are on, so just put it in as is. It won't move or anything."

"Alright." Sam picked up his wheelchair as if she were picking up a baby for the first time. Nervous, hesitant, as if afraid it would break under the lightest touch.

He remembered when he was like that too. Scared he would break it by shifting his weight even slightly incorrectly. But those days had long since passed. 

Sam slipped into the driver's seat just in time for Tucker to lean over the center console. "Alright, Team Phantom! Nasty Burger time!"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Sam groaned, but Danny could see her smiling.

With little more fanfare than a nervous glance Danny's way, she turned the car on and backed out of his driveway.

"Should we get milkshakes, too?" Tucker asked. "I mean, what am I even saying? Of course we're going to get milkshakes! Duh! It's Danny's first time out since...since..."

"July," Danny finished all too quickly.

An awkward silence settled over the car. Tucker tried to save it. "Wow, that long? That's..."

He wasn't successful.

"It's okay! Uh, we're really happy that—that you…" Sam's voice also stammered.

God, the awkwardness between him and his friends was painful. Okay, it was Danny's turn to step in. Maybe a joke to ease the tension?

"Yeah. Well, you know, I was—I was too busy being kidnapped."

The dead silence grew, and Danny's heartbeat stuttered. He mentally kicked himself for bringing that up when he absolutely was not ready to talk about it with his friends.

If only they could see that he was Phantom again. That he had his core back and he was fine, he was okay. He wasn't some weak kid anymore, this helpless, fragile child. 

"Yeah..." Tucker said, looking at Danny like he had spinach in his teeth and he was too nervous to tell him.

"Listen, I'm good, guys, seriously. I'm just looking forward to—to eating my body weight in Nasty Burger fries," he lied. 

He’d wanted to take extra measures that morning to ensure the looming red bag wouldn’t be a problem, but he needed to be careful. Sam and Tucker knew him better than anyone else. He couldn’t take too much medication or they’d know something was up. But if Danny had a freak-out in the middle of the Nasty Burger, what would they do? How would they react? Would they agree with his parents and say that Phantom should never come out again?

Well, they already thought that, actually. That's why they didn't help him get Frostbite to take his chip out. That's why Danny had to turn to Vlad of all people.

Danny tried to shove that particular strain of bitterness away and tune back into their conversation. Sam and Tucker were chatting about…something that happened in their science class. Danny didn't know what because he wasn't in their science class. He was in the Learning Center because he couldn't handle being in a normal classroom. At least, not yet. 

“Yeah, but you’ll be back soon,” Sam said.

Oops, had he said something out loud?

"We wouldn't be in the same class anyway. You're in—in honors," Danny said. He turned to her, incredulous. "Do I look like an honors kid to you?"

"Well, you never know!" Sam said. “I’m not in honors everything, you know.”

"Yeah, we could be in the same English class!" Tucker said. “I’d rather die than join Sam in honors English hell, after all.”

“Maybe. But knowing me, they’ll invent a new—a new class below all the other ones.”

"Nah, no way you're leaving me alone with Valerie. You know she's been trying to talk to me, right? She knows we know she's the Red Huntress. She keeps asking about you."

He did not, in fact, know that Tucker and Valerie had spoken.

"What'd she say?" Danny asked, trying to seem casual as their car passed by a group of joggers who didn't so much as bat an eye at their normal car passing by. He was too used to people staring at the GAV.

"Uh…you know…" Tucker began, waving his hand around. "She said she was sorry for being rude or whatever—you know, back before she noticed my stunning good looks and charm!"

Sam snorted. "You're so full of it."

Danny found it difficult to find the humor. "Seriously, what?"

"Just the normal stuff you'd expect. You know, the same sorts of questions everyone else has. Was wanting to know how long we'd known you were Phantom, and how we'd helped out with the ghost fights and stuff. Nothing really special."

Danny had forgotten that Sam and Tucker had become somewhat public figures when he had been both thrust into the spotlight and taken from them. It was short-sighted of him to believe that they would have been left alone in Casper High

Sam pulled into the Nasty Burger parking lot. "She's been trying to talk to me, too. Same as Tucker. Have you talked to her at all?"

“No,” Danny lied, glancing at the red-and-white building. "You know if she still works here?"

"Nah," Tucker said. "She quit last fall. I think Vlad gave her a raise."

That was good. It meant there was little chance Danny would run into her again.

The car came to a stop. The drive had seemed much too short. Though, Danny suspected that even if the drive had lasted three hours, he would still think it was too short. Inside the car, he was safe, he was anonymous. But outside?

Outside, he was none of those things.

Danny took a breath in. Held. Then, on the exhale, said, "Okay." He looked at the gray ceiling of the car if only to avoid his friends' eyes. He didn't want to know if they were looking at him with pity or concern.

He opened his eyes and went to open the door when he noticed the large black SUV parked directly next to them. "Wait, Sam, uh—sorry. Sorry, I can't...you need to..." His cheeks heated up, and he felt the weight of the disabled parking placard in his hoodie pocket. He pulled it out and flipped it over in his fingers.

Sam's eyebrows knit in confusion, but then her eyes met the distinct blue and white stick figure, and her eyes lit up. "Oh shit! Sorry—totally forgot. Force of habit."

She turned the car back on, and Danny's cheeks only heated more. "Not—not a big deal. It's…it's not the distance. It's the space."

"No, no, I get it," Sam said.

Tucker leaned over the center console, not bothering to buckle his seatbelt again for the ten-second drive. "Listen, Danny, all I'm saying is that I can totally piggyback you over to the curb."

"I'd rather take my chances crawling, thanks."

"You're no fun!"

"Tucker, you can barely lift a wet paper bag," Sam quipped.

"You too? Come on, I've put on muscle this year!" He flexed his arm, though nothing bulged out from the sleeve of his baggy hoodie.

Sam snorted. "Doing what? Lifting your pencil from your desk every day?"

"No! I've totally been going to the gym, Sam!"

If he had, that was news to Danny.

But apparently, Sam knew exactly what he was talking about. She parked the car again and turned it off, saying, "Your New Year's resolution doesn't count! You've gone what, like three times so far? That's not exactly going to get you gains."

Tucker mimicked her lead, throwing open the car door and sliding out of his seat. "I told you, I'm easing into it! They say people fail because they go too hard too fast. Hell, you were the one that told me that!"

"Yeah, but I also told you it was important to establish a routine. Have you done any of that?"

"I'm working up to it, woman!"

Danny was about to yell out to his friends, "Hey! I'm still in here! Don't forget about me!" but thankfully, just as the awkwardness was beginning to get to him, Sam opened the trunk of the car and gently pulled his wheelchair out.

"Do I undo the breaks or…?" she called over.

"No, just leave them. I have to, um, transfer."

"Right! Duh!" Sam set the wheelchair next to his door.

Danny tried to make this transfer seem as fluid as possible. He tried to descend out of the car with the practice of someone who had had a spinal cord injury for a decade and was confident in their own body, thank you very much, but he couldn't help but notice the way Tucker awkwardly shuffled nearby, or the child with its eyes glued on Danny as his mother yanked him through the Nasty Burger doors, admonishing him because it's rude to stare.

He was fine. He was fine. It was only the Nasty Burger. He had come here a million times before.

He undid the brakes and gripped the rims of his wheels, his palms clammy against the sleek metal. He felt so small between Sam and Tucker. He was usually half the height of everyone else, but the gap felt so much greater out in public. He wondered how long it would take before someone posted a video of him on social media. This would almost certainly make the fame worse again.

Maybe people would see that he was just trying to return to his old life and would leave him alone. But as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he stamped it out. No way would that ever happen.

"Okay, let’s go! I'm fucking starving!" Tucker said, ushering the pace along. He ran ahead and held open the door nice and wide. "Come on, you guys are so slow! Make way, make way, the world's slowest people might come through!"

In times like these, Danny was almost grateful for Tucker's dorky obnoxiousness, if only to help quell some of his seemingly never-ending anxiety.

He opened his mouth to say something about Tucker being a little shit and maybe a threat about sleeping with one eye open that night when his voice died in his throat.

Friend groups and families of all ages packed the Nasty Burger as the weekend lunch rush commenced. And Danny could see them, the people whose eyes lazily glanced over to the loud teen at the door, spotted Danny, and froze. Then they nudged their friends, who also turned to stare at Danny.

The whispers started, and the cell phones rose.

"That's really him?"

"No way!"

"Do you think that means Phantom's back?"

Phantom was back, but Danny couldn't say that much. He could only sit here and grind his teeth into silence.

Meanwhile, Sam and Tucker seemed to be faring far better with the whispers and blatant videoing of their trio. Maybe they were used to it. Or maybe they were trying to pretend everything was normal for Danny because he was fragile now, he couldn't handle the pressure last time that's what landed him in inpatient.

"I keep telling you to come to the gym with me," Sam chatted animatedly. "I'll show you how to build a solid routine!"

"Oh yeah, because sticking to a rigid routine is exactly what I'd call having fun at the gym," Tucker snarked. "Seriously, do I look like the kind of person who'd be into that?"

"You're impossible sometimes, you know that?"

Tucker only offered his signature shit-eating grin in return. "And you still love me anyway!"

Once again, Danny was not a participant in their banter.

"Okay, I seriously wasn't joking before that I'm starving! I didn't eat breakfast."

"That's what you get for waking up late."

"Yeah, yeah. What are you, my mom?"

Danny forced himself to join the conversation as they got in line. Primarily, to distract himself from the blatant onlookers. And, perhaps also, to show that he was a normal kid with normal friends. "What are you gonna get?"

"Triple Nasty combo," Tucker answered automatically. "And probably a milkshake on the side. Duh!"

"That's so much food. The poor animals," Sam said.

"Yeah, and I'll eat it all too. You watch!"

"I'd rather not."

"Well, I already know you're getting a tofu melt because you hate fun. So what about you, Danny?" Tucker asked.

Danny shrugged. He wasn't sure he could eat with his stomach practicing gymnastics inside his torso. The smell wasn't horrible in the Nasty Burger, but it still had that slight processed scent that made Danny's eyes think that every red booth they spotted in passing was a vestige of the red bag.

Shit, now his brain was thinking about it. He wanted to stop thinking about it. Just stop, Danny, it's not that hard.

People got behind him in line. He could hear their whispers.

"…so small in person…"

"…feds messed him up…"

Inhale. Hold. Exhale.

Normal kid. He was a normal kid.

"Danny?" Sam's tone was too gentle.

He looked up to see that they were now standing in front of the register, and a nervous-looking teenager was staring openly at him. People around gave him a wide berth, most openly gawking at this point. The rims of his wheelchair felt cold, and then he realized shit, that was just the ecto-frost on his palms threatening to freeze him to the floor.

"Um…" Danny pretended to look at the menu, but his eyes couldn't really focus on anything. "I guess a…uh…just—just a regular Nasty Burger. And, um, fries."

That was a normal teenager thing to order, right?

"What, no milkshake?" Tucker asked.

"Not—not that hungry," Danny admitted. He tried to remember if he would have ordered a milkshake in the past. He probably did, right? His shrunken stomach was supposed to be back to normal now, according to his doctors, but he still didn't feel like it was.

"Aw, for real?" Tucker said, but he snapped himself out of it quickly, clasping a hand on Danny's shoulder and flashing a grin. "Don't worry, because I'm such an amazing friend, I'll let you share mine!"

"Oh, yeah, thanks."

The cashier rang him up—only slightly stuttering when she pressed a wrong button and apologized five times for making him wait an extra few seconds—and then the trio headed for a table.

"Needs to be off to the side," Danny said, realizing there was no way he could fit through the narrow aisles in the middle of the packed joint. "Not near the front windows, though."

Like hell was his face going to be the first that everyone saw when they entered the restaurant.

Sam was way ahead of him, though, already beelining for a table along the side. Danny followed with Tucker in tow yapping about some glitch he'd discovered in whatever video game he was playing. Danny appreciated the effort, truly. Video games used to be the primary thing that they bonded over. But now, Danny didn't even recognize the title, and he realized that he wasn't too interested in trying it for himself.

As they passed by the crowd, people practically leaped out of the way. When a middle schooler with her back turned was partially blocking Danny's path, her friends yanked her aside so hard that Danny thought the poor kid was going to fly headfirst into a table. But then she turned, saw him, and her eyes grew comically wide as she yelled, "Oh shit!"

Her friends, of course, giggled uncontrollably at that, chiding their friend for being "so oblivious, oh my god!"

Yeah, this was fine. He was just a normal teen at a Nasty Burger. There was nothing to yell about.

In another universe, they would have sat at a booth along the outer perimeter of the fast food joint. After all, booths were always superior. But not now, not when sitting in a booth meant abandoning his wheelchair to the aisle where the general public could trip and spill their drinks on it.

Danny didn't have to ask Sam to move one of the chairs off to another table. He scooted himself in as if this were rehearsed and they'd done this before, as if this were a normal Saturday routine for them and Danny wasn't so anxious he thought he might actually sink through the floor.

"This is why you never get any better at games, though," Sam snapped at Tucker.

It took Danny a few seconds to realize that they were still in the middle of a conversation.

"But it's fun! Come on, Danny, back me up!"

Danny blinked owlishly at him. "What is?"

There was the barest hint of a flicker in Tucker's face. A brief moment where his eyebrows began pulling together, where his lips dropped, where his eyes flashed, before he pulled his cheeky smile back on and answered in the same bright, whiny tone, "Exploiting the system, of course!"

If Danny hadn't known any better, he would have excused that as a trick of the light.

"But if you spend the entire time cheating, then you'll never actually develop any skill! See, this is why I always crush you one-on-one," Sam argued.

"Yeah but it's fun," Tucker reiterated.

Danny attempted to put on his best bro-code as he backed Tucker up with what was probably an extremely convincing, "Right."

Sam pressed her lips together, and Danny's fingers twitched for his pocket where a little plastic baggy awaited him.

He was not doing well at this whole pretending-to-be-normal thing. Maybe at home it was less obvious, but here, surrounded by dozens of other normal people, his little quirks were too glaring. Too freakish.

If he could take up the offerings of the small plastic bag in his pocket, he could pass as normal. But then Sam and Tucker would know something was up, and oh god, everyone was watching him, right? There were whispers everywhere. Why was being normal so easy for Sam and Tucker? Why couldn’t he be like them?

Maybe the pills were like his wheelchair or crutches. He couldn't be normal without them. He was a freak, a zoo animal in an exhibit, and everyone knew it. Maybe he belonged in a little cage where everyone could watch him, point and whisper, one with white walls and white floors and—

A kid stumbled forward, knocking into his wheelchair. Danny turned, and the child hid his face behind his stubby fingers and backed away. He bumped into his parents, who gently said, "Go on," and pushed him forward again.

The child, who couldn't have been older than six, approached him again, now peeking rather obviously out of his fingers. A tuft of dirty blond hair sat on a head almost too large for his body. But Danny immediately zeroed in on the child’s black shirt with a familiar white logo on his chest.

Why was this kid wearing his shirt when Phantom hadn't made an appearance in months?

"Hi." The kid stood beside Danny and dropped his fingers from his face. He rocked back and forth on his heels, barely able to hide his nervous excitement as he asked, "Can I take a picture with you?"

Danny's mouth dried instantly. He glanced at Sam’s and Tucker's reassuring expressions before turning back to this bouncing child.

Phantom had taken lots of pictures with kids before. But Fenton? Well, before the reveal, Fenton was a nobody. And after the reveal, he'd turned government-plaything-to-crazy-kid. The fact that not only did this random child want a picture with him but his parents were standing a few steps away encouraging it?

Was he dreaming?

Thankfully, his voice returned to Danny quickly enough for him to say, "Uh—yeah. Yeah! Of course!"

The child squealed and closed the gap between himself and Danny, who leaned to the side with his arm out. The kid went right for it, clasping his hands in delight when Danny's hand wrapped around his shoulder.

The kid's parents were quick with their phones, snapping their photos before Danny's brain could finish processing the bizarre nature of whatever the fuck was happening.

When the parents gave their thumbs-up, the kid whipped back around to face Danny, his nerves now fully given way to excitement. "Thank you, Phantom! You're my favorite superhero. Look, I have your shirt!"

For the first time in his life, Danny felt completely out of his depth. Thankfully, Tucker was to the rescue, leaning over with a "Wow! Look, Danny, it matches your suit perfectly!"

The kid clapped. "It does! I got it because then we match!"

"Thank you." Danny hoped he didn't sound too dumbfounded. "Um, what's your name?"

"Theo! Santa got me this for Christmas. I wear it all the time and my friends wanted the shirt from Santa! Bryce has a shirt already, and sometimes we match too!"

"Well, thank you, Theo!" Danny said, having no idea how to respond.

"Come now, let's let Mr. Phantom get back to his friends," his father said.

"Okay!" Theo said, then hesitated, glancing between the wheelchair and Danny before something in his little brain computed and he reached over and tried his best to hug Danny.

And if Danny's brainpower was flickering before, now it officially short-circuited. Because this kid, this kid, was really...hugging him? He took a picture with Danny and now he was trying to hug him?

And his parents weren't screaming and cursing at him for being a danger to their son?

No. Wait, his parents were taking a picture of this? They were smiling?

Danny felt a kick to the side of his wheelchair, and he snapped back to Earth to realize that oh, duh, he was supposed to hug Theo back.

Even though he was afraid that touching the kid might set someone off enough to call the police on him, nothing of the sort happened. He gently wrapped his hands around Theo's back, and then the kid broke free, beaming up at him with a smile so wide, Danny was afraid it might fly off his face.

"Thank you, Mr. Phantom! I hope you feel better soon!" Theo said, skipping back to his parents.

His father high-fived him, praising him for being such a good boy and asking Mr. Phantom first before leading them back to their table across the restaurant. The mother hovered for a moment, hesitating, before walking over to Danny and saying, "Thank you for taking a photo with him. You're Theo's idol. He was so worried about you when everything happened, so seeing you here today meant a lot to him."

"It's no problem," Danny said, and he meant it. He was still reeling that this happened at all.

Not that it was bad. It wasn't. It was actually…kind of nice. Warm in a way he couldn’t explain.

He pushed through his jittering nerves because, for some reason, he really felt like he needed to say one more thing. "Tell—tell your son that—that Phantom is working hard to be back soon."

The woman's eyes almost looked watery as she said, "I will. Thank you."

And then she left to join her family.

The whispers followed, but Danny suddenly didn't care. He felt light. Like he was almost flying. His core hummed happily, sending waves of exhilaration dancing along his limbs.

"Wow, that's so cool, Danny!" Sam said.

"Yeah, I guess it is,” Danny replied, blinking more stars from his eyes. "I didn't think anyone—anyone would…"

"It's like I said, dude!" Tucker grinned. "You're kind of a big deal. Both you, and Phantom."

"Well, yeah, I noticed." Danny's eyes flickered to that group of middle school girls who were very obviously sending Snapchat videos of him to all of their friends. "I just—I didn't think it would be—be like…that. I don't know."

Sam's lips pulled into a frown. "Danny, you realize that most people are on your side, right? That it's just the angry people who are the loudest?"

"On my—on my side and letting their kid take photos with me are two different things, Sam."

Sam and Tucker exchanged a look. A long look. One that soured Danny's mood instantly because shit, his friends thought he was unstable, didn't they? Were they going to tattle on him to his parents? Or Jazz? Tell them that Danny thought of himself as little more than a freakshow exhibit at the circus and that they should get him more therapy?

"It's—forget it," Danny said. He opened his mouth to elaborate, to make an excuse that the kid just caught him off guard and that he was aware that most people were on his side, thanks, and maybe spill that he'd seen their post pinned to his subreddit, when the girl at the counter called their order number.

He waited at the table while Sam and Tucker got their food. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. He was alone, vulnerable. Everyone was looking at him. Whispering. Wondering.

He heard a snicker behind him. Were people laughing at him?

No, it was just a group of friends, they were talking, they probably were laughing at something else entirely. Not everything revolves around you, Danny. Stop being so egotistical.

Thankfully, Sam and Tucker didn't abandon him for too long. They returned, trays of food in hand.

Sam placed his plate in front of him, and he held his breath. He could feel his fingers start to shake, and he hid them within the sleeves of his hoodie. He couldn't crack, not now, not while he was in public.

Don't think about it. It doesn't smell the same. This is totally different.

Eventually, he had to let out a breath, but not until the world had drowned out of his ears and his head was spinning. Was it from the lack of oxygen or the anxiety biting holes in his skin? 

"You're not going to eat?" 

He jolted up to see Tucker already halfway through his burger. Sam, too, was looking at him with a lost expression.

Panic swirled in him. Had his friends been talking casually to each other the entire time? Had they noticed his silence?

Did they care?

Was he even really their friend anymore? Or was he just the third they let tag along because they felt bad leaving him behind?

"Oh, what?" Danny tried to let out the breath he'd been holding as quietly as he could. His lungs burned. "Sorry. Yeah, just spaced out."

They stared at him a moment longer, and Danny could feel his face heating up. He could smell the processed food in front of him.

It's not the same thing.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam asked gently. “We can take this to go if you need.”

God, he hated how she looked at him like he could break at any moment.

"I'm fine," he snapped. He wasn't going to let her see him weak.

His pulse quickened. He needed another pill.

This was the issue with the hydrocodone. It wasn’t as potent as the oxycodone. It didn't last as long either. The mental relief wore off too soon.

He should have taken the extra one in his pocket.

Tucker and Sam were having a silent conversation. But this one was so loud, Danny could almost hear it.

"Should we bring him home?"

"I don't know."

"What if he has a meltdown?"

"He can't have one right now. We're in public."

He wanted them to shut up, to leave him alone, to stop looking at him like he was something to pity, like some starving dog begging on the street corner. And so, he raised his burger to his mouth and took a bite.

It was fine. He was in the Nasty Burger. He was fine.

The burger was juicy, and regardless of the smell, it really did taste like a burger. Nothing at all like what he’d eaten before. Which seemed to work for whatever set of stringent rules his brain had decided on, and he could feel the panic begin to trickle out of his skin.

"It's good," Danny commented when his gaze flickered up to see the strained looks on his friends’ faces. "Really good."

Sam's face melted in relief. "I'm glad!"

"That's why we brought you out here!” said Tucker. “Figured a taste of the best fast food ever would bring you right back to the good old days!"

Danny wished that was all it took.

"Yeah. I guess the reminder is nice."

Their eyes weighed a thousand pounds on his skull as he bent down and took another bite.

It did taste pretty okay. Nothing at all like the red bag, though it smelled a little like the red bag and ugh no don’t think about it, don’t think about it.

Their chatter started up again, and this time, Danny tried his best to follow along.

Or, maybe not. Because while they were talking about school, a topic Danny should have at least been familiar with, he was already lost.

“Dash and Paulina haven’t broken up yet, idiot,” Sam said.

“‘Yet’ being the key word there,” Tucker said. “That means you think they’re a bad matchup too!”

“Yeah, they have basically nothing in common other than popularity.” Sam swiped a fry off Tucker’s plate with a level of ease that made Danny’s gut squirm, though he didn’t understand why. “That doesn’t mean you’re suddenly going to become her knight in shining armor. You have even less in common with Paulina than Dash does!”

“Wait, Dash and Paulina are dating?” Danny asked.

Sam rolled her eyes. “Barely. Tucker’s convinced he has a chance to ask her to prom. No one thinks they’re going to last.”

“Prom?” Danny’s voice squeaked.

“Yeah, we’re juniors!” Tucker nudged him playfully. “We get to go to prom in the spring! It’s still a few months away before promposals start, but a man’s gotta plan early, right?”

Danny took a slow bite of his burger and chewed, not making eye contact with either of his friends. He’d forgotten that he was an upperclassman, technically. Though, given his current academic situation, he barely felt like a student at all.

But it didn’t really matter, because there was no way a damaged, fucked-up hybrid like him was ever going to get a date to prom.

“Hey,” a voice behind him said.

He turned just in time for a camera to flash.

The paparazzi instinct was burned deep into his reflexes at this point, and he ducked his face behind his hands.

“Can you still turn into Phantom?” the pap asked.

Sam shot her a glare. “Um, do you mind? We’re eating.”

The girl ignored Sam. “Can you speak to the rumors about why you haven’t transformed since your arrest? Is it true that the government took away your ghost form?”

“He’s literally still injured. He can turn into Phantom just fine. Let him heal first,” Sam said.

Danny felt his core pulse and winced, pushing it back down. His ghostly half didn't take kindly to the implication that it was weak and needed to stay hidden. It didn't like to lose.

It wanted to appear, to show the world that he was here again, he was back. 

But no. No.

"Does this mean that you're done acting as the town's protector?"

Danny ducked his head to hide the green glow of his eyes under his bangs, and he heard Tucker suck in a breath beside him.

Click!

The camera flashed.

Conversations at other tables hushed around him. Other people were picking up on what was happening.

Calm down. 

The door opened, and another set of footsteps began stalking over to his booth. 

Click!

"Phantom! Hey, Phantom, look over here!" 

Another paparazzo.

"Hey, hey!" a gruff voice behind the register called out. "What the hell are you guys doing on my property?"

"Phantom!" the paparazzo said, closer this time, ignoring the Nasty Burger manager.

"Okay, it's time for us to go," Tucker said quietly, stuffing both his and Danny's food back into its paper bag and tugging Danny's hoodie sleeve. "Come on, we're leaving."

If he got up, then that would be another shining example of him running away from his problems. It would be proof that he was weak, that he couldn’t handle a few simple questions. It would show the public that he couldn’t do normal human things like go to the Nasty Burger with his friends. 

But he didn’t have enough of the medication in him. His fingers wouldn’t stop trembling. He couldn’t make a stand without the fog.

"Let's go." Tucker's uncharacteristically serious tone offered no argument, and his eyes were hardened like a soldier going into battle. 

In all their years of friendship, Danny had never seen this side of Tucker before. Sam had always been the leader of their group, but in this moment, it wasn't Sam taking charge. It was Tucker not just asking but commanding Danny to follow his orders.

So Danny did. He pushed himself away from the table and followed Tucker to the door, passing by nameless faces and eyes all tracking his every muscle twitch. 

He felt like an alien. 

He should have just taken the extra hydrocodone that he couldn’t afford, suspicions from Sam and Tucker be damned. 

It was sickening how instantly he’d caved to the pressure from the paparazzi. He just wanted to look them in the eye and tell them to fuck off. 

But he couldn’t do that. Not without help.

"Phantom! Look over here!"

"Phantom!"

Had they multiplied?

"Get the fuck out of my store before I call the fucking cops, you vultures!" 

Those girls were whispering again. As were the other group of teens next to them. And the group of families behind them. And every group around the store. They were all staring at him, whispering, talking about him because they couldn't believe that Phantom was actually here in the flesh after months of only seeing his name in the news.

He felt hands on the back of his wheelchair, and then he had the stunning realization that Tucker was pushing him out of the restaurant. Had he stopped moving? He hadn't even noticed.

Déjà vu rushed over him, and for a moment, he felt like this was last fall all over again. With him spacey and confused, and Sam and Tucker doing their best to maintain a normal friendship out of some deluded sense of obligation, even though they were acting more like Danny was a toddler they were responsible for looking after rather than their friend. And worse, he couldn't even blame them.

Danny had rarely heard Tucker sound so serious. So confident. Gone was his squeaky, puberty-ridden voice, and now here was the blooming baritone of a nearly seventeen-year-old who had matured far more in the last six months than Danny had even realized.

Both of them had matured, he amended as he looked over to Sam's straight back and squared shoulders. Her toned arms swung and her chin stuck out with a set jaw and purple lips pressed in a line.

They had both grown so much. And he hadn't.

A toddler. He was just a toddler to them.

"I got it," he muttered, trying not to sound too bitter as he regained control of his wheelchair. 

The paparazzi followed them out of the restaurant, of course, yelling questions that sounded more like the buzzing of a mosquito than actual words.

Sam's car was right in front of the building where they'd left it, which meant that it was in the prime location for the paparazzi to get a nice show of Danny transferring to the car.

"Sorry that your faces are gonna end up on TMZ tomorrow," Danny said, trying to keep the tone light. 

Tucker waved him off with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Don't sweat it, dude."

"Wouldn't be the first time, anyway," Sam added.

Yeah, he supposed it wouldn't.

He tried to look more energetic than he felt as he got into the car, turning his head away as Sam and Tucker stowed the wheelchair in the trunk, even as he heard the flurry of camera clicks capturing every moment of it.

He also didn't miss Sam's overly aggressive door slam, or the tensely lighthearted tone Tucker's voice held as he called out to the paps, "Enjoy the rent money!"

Sam snorted, then opened the driver's door and began sliding into the seat. "Yeah, hope your parents are proud of you right now! Harassing a bunch of teens like this!"

"Just a word!" one of the paparazzi yelled back.

"Why haven't you turned into Phantom?" the second asked.

"Is it true that the Ghost Investigation Ward destroyed your ghost half?"

"Why didn't you answer me before? Are you finished working as Amity Park's protector?"

Danny's core twinged, and not for the first time today, he cursed his ghostly Obsession for making things like this utterly impossible to ignore. "I'm not done!"

Beside him, Sam stiffened, her hand poised on her open door, a second too late to close it. 

"I'm not done working as Phantom!" His core hummed. "I—I'll be back! Soon!"

"Danny, stop," Sam hissed.

Danny was done listening to what other people thought he should do with Phantom. He was done hiding.

"How soon?"

His core throbbed, and it took everything in him to not transform right then and there. Though judging by the breath Tucker sucked in, Danny could guess that he hadn't managed to keep his eyes from glowing green.

The first ghostly display he'd shown the public since his release from the hospital, and…he wasn’t concerned in the slightest at the potential backlash.

In fact, his core was preening like a peacock at the mere thought that the paparazzi had caught a video of his eyes glowing.

Recklessly, he pushed his aura out harder.

"How soon, Phantom?" 

Danny grinned. "Soon!"

****

previous / next

****

Thanks to @imekitty for betaing!

[read more of my works here]

[minsungchronology]

My Personal Opinions on Minsung's Dynamic (2024)

Disclaimer: I am not trying to pass off my opinions as facts. This is my personal interpretation of what is laid out right in front of us. I could be completely off base because I don’t know these guys personally, so take this with a grain of salt and feel free to disagree!

THE YEARS KEEP GETTING LONGER 🫠

I honestly thought this year would be shorter than last year because of the long break Skz had during the first couple of months, but luckily Minsung have been Minsunging enough to make my video the length that it is.

But as far as Lee Know and Han's interactions go, I feel like they - Han in particular, especially - look at some of the songs he’s released this year - found their footing/identity, at least compared to prior years. Lee Know is noticeably more playful with Han (on camera, at least). They seem a lot more comfortable to show that side of themselves.

Except for a few mentions here and there, they remain quite private and guarded about their hangouts. 80% of the time; it’s ALWAYS fans asking them about their hangouts or sightings. They hardly ever bring it up themselves. What came as a surprise and caught me off guard (not really surprising when you think about it) is them MOVING IN TOGETHER. It came out of left field, but it’s very much them.

We also kicked off this year with the Two Kids Show episode and since then (if my and some other peoples’ thoughts about them are correct) they haven't been shy about showing/telling how much they mean to each other and how special their bond is.

I was one of the people who were skeptical about Hold My Hand having anything to do with Lee Know until I saw the repetitive stages (the transition of LK and Han shaking/holding each others hands, Han literally saying “Minho Hyung, hold my hand” while catching LK off guard the first time he did it, and THEN Han saying that the fans understood what he was trying to convey with the song - outside of the more obvious overall meaning of it being an ode from his current self to his past self.

I’m certain some of the members and others have seen the many international fan theories about Han’s song. (At the very least Chan would have, and he would have relayed it to Han, but I think Han would likely try to look at the many different theories across social media on his own for a song he wrote himself.) I also wonder if Korean fans were theorizing as hard as international fans were and what they came up with if they did.

When putting all of that together, it comes across a certain way and Han himself knows that. (If they are purely platonic, it would mean they don't mind that some fans perceive them that way. In that case, more power to them and the fans that ship them.)

People can write this behavior alone off as FS (which I think they’re taking advantage of if you see my 2023 opinions and what I'm about to say later on in this essay). But, to me, it doesn’t explain away the many other things we’ve witnessed them do.

One moment I thought was interesting in the body-language-never-lies department (during the Bocau concert) was when Lee Know was waving his mic toward the audience when the members were taking turns singing their part of the song. As SOON AS HAN APPEARS ON THE SCREEN, he STOPS and his full attention is now on him, completely away from the fans. Then, he returns his attention to the fans when the screen switches to another member lmfao. Like, these two legitimately care about each other so much.

Then, there’s the “STAY Let’s be together for 100,000 years” Big Baby/Little Baby YT Live where the two were all huddled up and close. Han saying “We live together!” and seeming gleeful about that fact in a concert (where he answers the fan’s sign) is so sweet.

Some moments I found really funny:

-The happenings (if ykyk) at the SBS Gayo Daejeon Summer concert. What were they thinking- like, girl, what the fuck-

-Han checks LK out and goes "Oh!" when he crouches down during Day 3 of the Seoul concerts and does a full circle around to appreciate the view. 😃🔫

-And, whatever this was:

From all of the concert & fan meet footage we’ve got this year alone (and holy shit, there’s a lot). There’s literally no reason to think that they secretly dislike each other (you'll have people trying to insinuate that as pushback against the more passionate shippers). At the very least, they have a special bond/friendship. You can fake getting along with someone on a basic level on camera, but to have this much chemistry and gravitation towards each other - a lot of it is really subconscious, too - (i.e. They’re always looking at each other when something funny happens/when one gets embarrassed, they always talk to each other during the ‘ments, LK always uses Han as a fidget toy, etc.) can’t be faked and not with the amount of footage we’ve seen of them for nearly a decade.

I also wanted to make an interesting parallel:

Plenty of people (at least the ones curious about inter-group dating) know about Seungho and B.nish of D.I.P. They came out as an actual couple on Instagram Live a few years back, and they've been dating each other since they were trainees, as of that Live.

A few weeks ago, I was thinking about those two when working on the video, and the age-old question, "If two bandmates were “secretly" dating within a group, would they try to interact as little as possible or hide in plain sight?" came up. My opinion has always been that it depends on the individuals involved in the relationship and the types of people around them (different people with different personalities and lived experiences won't always approach something like this in the same way).

Sooooo I did a little bit of digging to see how those two interacted on camera and came across this video:

Look at 4:54, 6:05, and 6:52 (B.nish is the cute guy with the black shirt/orange patterns and Seungho is the guy with the blonde hair with shaved sides and leopard outfit). Or just watch the whole thing cause there are many little moments throughout the video.

The part where they link arms at 6:05 with one another reminds me of LK and Han linking arms in SKZ Code EP59 (around 1:11:35 in the chronology video where they played sports). 😭

Then, I went on Vlivearchives to check out their page to see how they would interact in unedited content that spans for a long time ~ which we’ve also seen Minsung interact in: the concerts and live streams, for example.

Link (B.nish is green shirt dude and Seungho is black hat dude) - Skip to 27:49-28:00, 34:58-35:09, 36:30, 40:15-41:03 and look at their body language compared to the other members (or look at 27:49 to the end if you have time).

and Link (B.nish is guy in blue cardigan, Seungho is guy in black t-shirt/black hat) - Skip to 47:00-48:00, 51:48-52:00, 1:17:22-1:18:03

AND OH MY GOD LOOK AT THEM!!! The vlives remind me of how Han/LK behaved in the YT live where they came up with the big baby/little baby nickname!!! BN/SH behavior also really mirrors how LK/Han are during concerts and how their body language - even when they're not speaking - says a lot.

So,,, the point is that I'm still on the side that thinks idols can absolutely take advantage of skinship (something not unusual between male friends in Korea, and especially in the environment where idols are in) and/or shipping culture to hide in plain sight. On the other hand, I think some people would try to hide away from the camera as much as possible. It really depends on the person at the end of the day! If there were more confirmed instances where two members in a K-pop group date each other, we could get a better overall representation of how they would handle this and how it would look on camera.

In addition: SNH 48, a C-pop girl group, I can name TWO instances where intergroup dating has occurred:

The member who cheated on a member with ANOTHER member (some of us might know about this haha) - the two members in the original relationship had a VERY fanservice-y stage (Link).

FengXiaoFei&WangJiaLing (the link is a compilation of some of their interactions. They came out as a couple after graduating from/leaving the group. Fans have speculated about them long before they came out cause they weren't hiding it. 🤯)

[andredeyemii]

manifesting an SP is so easy, what do you mean??

I'm not saying this as a mind saturation thing. I genuinely believe, know and can explain why manifesting someone is easy because I've done it before and it's just too funny girl.

here's the link to my SP success stories. (Will edit)

R E A L I T Y C H E C K : :

here is some education before you jump into manifesting an SP. thought transmission / telepathy is real and happens to us all the time. have you ever noticed that there seems to be a universal experience where you can talk to someone and feel drained or have the random intuition that someone cannot be trusted despite nothing happening between the two of you?? you are picking up on their energy, especially the energy of what is inside their minds. have you ever witnessed a person being so magnetic for some reason?? but have you also observed a person at rock bottom and saw their repell?? have you noticed how different your social experiences were when you were confident VS insecure?? this all counts as thought transmission, alignment and telepathy.

It doesn't even have to be for people. people can attract money into their lives too. money should be seen as an energy, because the physical object of money is just green paper but money's place in the world is basically the amplifier of who people are. people can save lives or pay to destroy it. so money is not evil, stop fearing and rejecting the attraction of money because of this!! are YOUR intentions evil?? no. so you deserve the money wtf!? same goes for your crush. are you desperate?? needy for his valuable time for the self-absorbtion of your own scarcity?? no? so you'll get him. stop over thinking.

one time my first and most hopeless crush messaged me for HOURSS even if I already transferred schools this year, and he said some sweet things and one of them was a confession that he liked me during the 1st and 2nd month of school. I liked him during the 2nd to 4th. and I didn't even know why I liked him. so he just got me the moment he detached. lmao.

M A N I F E S T H I M !!

do the inner-work.

once you like someone, just acknowledge it. don't be so afraid of admiring someone because how are you supposed to attract them? let yourself be giddy, happy and excited that you know them. be so detached in all of this that nothing is scary. why TF would it be.. I also did shadow work where I would find out things about myself. my most recent SP, I tried to talk to them once but then found something off about it and then reflected on an "independence" quality I had in myself that came from my household. damnn. so I prioritized my self-concept with it.

detachment.

then, you can put them off the pedestal and put yourself on it. how I navigate it: I basically wonder WHY I like this person and find qualities about them that I am fond of. psychologically, you are attracted to someone because of their polarity, or the things about them that you are missing in yourself. so I figure this out and incorporate this into my own self-growth. if it weren't for that stupid SP I had once, I would probably stay a homebody instead of a socialite. this is a link from angelwxnny about it btw. this aligns me to my desires.

law of assumption.

then, in the meantime, I'd do the conscious manifestation. I can glance at them, and start visualizing a scene in my head that would make me feel loved. my most recent SP is him just saying that he loved me over and over until I felt satisfied. the whole key of manifestation is just being satisfied in the 4D that you're content in the 3D and it'll all gravitate towards you.

You can also affirm what you see and feel in the 4D. you should affirm gratitude a lot. when you keep thinking about him for some reason, go switch the narrative and think "ohhh he must be thinking about me right now because why am I thinking of him!?" trust me. one time I entered a room with a clear mind but then got heavied with the only thought in mind being someone's name. this guy was talking about his crush and it was me.

law of attraction.

I keep talking about self-concept all the time. please, it's the best frking thing in the world. I use my SPs as leverages for my self-concept even. since I use them as inspiration to grow, I already feel as if. I had no wavering at all because the momentum of liking someone is really active that I kept getting confidence boosts here and there. it's easy, and honestly so much fun y'all.

And then I manifest!! easyyy!!

[jkftkth]

i really do wonder what a bts comeback will mean and does every member have a plan figured out for themselves.

fan accounts going awol when some members were exploring their artistic individuality and only now resurfacing because a group reunion is closer - it makes you think. was there ever even an artistic connection? or was it more about what has been sold to the audience over musical talents - an entertaining family dynamic/bond fans can project onto. fitted roles where a member is only likeable if they’re playing it just right.

2024 changed my feelings for good on where i think i belong, and there’s probably little that could happen for me to want to be part of bts’ fandom again.

firstly, there’s only so far you can go being a fan of tae and having to witness on a daily basis the level of disrespect he faces from both company and fandom no one else has. when you see quite literally the worst of the worst, day after day, but it’s only a limited amount of fans who voice concern and make actual space for the exclusive severity of it all to be acknowledged and discussed and questioned…you either stay and pretend it’s not happening/it’s not “the actual worst” because it’s impossible to satisfy every fan, orrrrr—

i mean, everything until up to now has been with the intent of a) making us fall for the brainwashing so we stop advocating for him as an individual, or b) exhaust us into quitting being his fan so his label can turn around and say to him hey look—why did you think you could make it when no one likes you?

and i obviously believe other members are a victim in their own way too. because you would have to be living under a rock to not see that hybe does not respect its idols as workers, as money makers, and as humans. neither does it protect most of them, the actual opposite for specifically taegikook and so a fan of the group or not, anyone would naturally want better for hybes idols across the board because they deserve better than staff badmouthing them in official reports and on online platforms.

of course there are other reasons i’ve had enough, such as contractual fan service being pushed so much whilst at the same time fandom reactions being intensely watched and made note of to the extent labels are out here monitoring fanfiction and assigning tropes to members and not caring what type of delusion and hate that cultivates??! to the group motto of “us is always before me” being celebrated, to fandom not actually caring about idols’ rights, to fandom falling for a dirty pr firm’s media manipulation/fabrication so easily, to hybe basically being in all fandom spaces with their dumb ass bots to sway opinion, to i mean the list goes on.

i don’t think i’d call myself bitter, or a hater, or a “solo.”once they return i’ll feel relief for all of them that that chapter of their life is over and they came out safe and sound (🙏), but i confess i have little excitement for a group album because group songs mean one thing for fans of tae and group arrangements always do the opposite of wanting him to shine and group entertainment is hard to enjoy when you know there’s a script running more often than not at his expense.

a tour? well i know there’s sincerity in how important performing is, and it’ll probably mean a lot after 18 months of being forced away from that, so it will be nice to see them doing what they find enjoyable yes. do i look forward to the exerting schedules for the sake of making up for hybes financial losses? do i look forward to the billionaire continuing to rip them off while he carries on riding their success as his own?

i know there are contracts. i know idols’ rights are a topic of concern and few are willing to talk about it and make a change. i know their industry can get really manipulative really fast as soon as they step out of line and that can lead to a really dark reality. i know there’s always a bad guy in the story. i know the group is still important and loved by tae (and jk), i know he wants to think the best of the group’s fandom because he is still a group member, i know i’ll support him wherever he goes but like

it’s just hard to forget the least three years and stay unaffected.

[friendlyfatbee]

I’ve come to realize that as an adult, I can dramatically flaunt around my dorm and wave my labcoat-like cardigan around like a mad scientist, and no one can stop me. What are they gonna do, tell me to grow up?

[thenearsightedmicroraptor]

Seen a lot of posts about people coming into your notifications out of nothing and liking your entire blog, but here's a shoutout to the people who do Not follow you, who appear out of nowhere, reblog One (1) post that you are Not the op of, and then you never see them again. Where did you come from girl.

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

Do you think if the trolls all came back, like everything in the main comic did happen and they were alive again. Do you think Feferi would actually forgive Eridan? Or want to even be his friend after everything? I don't personally like the erisol and fefertasprite interaction…felt rushed…..so I just wanted to know your opinion if things were different! :)

Yeah, I think they would be! Feferi is one of the trolls who takes dying the least badly (relentless optimism) and Eridan does genuinely feel bad, which means a lot when it's Eridan. I think she really is genuine when she says she wants them to be friends and also that she's really not the type of person to hold a grudge, and like... death is SUPER cheap in Homestuck, it's really not the horrific, irredeemable, irreperable damage that it is IRL - and if you're talking about (Feferi) and (Eridan), then they're both dead (and irrelevent) now, so the score is kind of even.

In general, the fandom - I mean, people in general, really - tend to have difficulty divorcing themselves from other people. We tend to assume that the people and characters they like will hold similar opinions to themselves. This is how people who like Karkat and don't like Eridan can mentally gloss over or even block out their clear, close friendship, or how people who dislike Cronus can end up overlooking that Meenah actually takes his opinion seriously and unironically defends his wizard thing. Feferi really isn't mad at Eridan or upset about dying the way we probably would be, because she's friends with the horrorterrors, relentlessly cheerful, comfortable with death in general, and death is also just not really that big of a deal in this setting. "I'm really sorry about that, that was shitty of me" is honestly probably all the apology she needs, especially if they came back to life anyway.

[iniziare]

Re-tag drop: Yelan