#reanimated huntress

[clownqueen88]

[pikabysss]

I've thought of a concept of a mainly Resident Evil 4 AU like... similar to a vampire AU but not quite. Some kind of Castlevania-ish AU (in a similar setting with similar rules to the universe of Castlevania. With vampires, but also a lot of other kinds of monsters and fantastical races.) It'd be like some kind of Serennedy focused AU, so I decided to design them both first.

Here they are! There's colours for once :0.

Also, I've written down some of the worldbuilding for that AU if you want more context and information. It's a WIP still, so not everything is perfectly set in stone. But, if I had the mental energy, was better with time management, and was able to concentrate on my writing for more than ten minutes, I would have totally already started a fic about it. So, there's still a lot of stuff here:

Leon is a vampire/monster hunter (for obvious reason), and he is sent on a mission to save an important governor's daughter (Ashley Graham) who got captured by Lord Saddler (who is a vampire almost on the same importance of Dracula in this universe.) Luis is a dark chemist who has a lot of forbidden knowledge with science and magic. He wasn't liked in the village, but Lord Saddler admired him for his intellectual prowess, and, well, it pretty much follows canon. But it's more of a mix of fantasy and sci-fi, unlike og RE 4, which is mostly just sci-fi with the parasite stuff. Luis learns how to turn humans into monsters but also reanimate dead bodies (making Frankenstein or zombies), but he's obviously not pleased by the result. He's not capable of creating vampires, tho. Saddlers, being a vampire lord, can turn other people into vampires, and he turned Mendez and Salazar into ones. He doesn't turn too many people into vampires since they have more free wills than, like, zombies and can't control their darkened souls as well. But the fact that, if vampires go out of the village, they would most likely be killed by the hunters, Saddler can emotionally manipulate them to work for him.

Leon eventually gets bitten by Saddler and is about to become a vampire. Obviously, becoming a vampire means he'd lost everything all over again, but, most importantly, for him, his humanity. This happens before he finds Luis. Luis, at that point, wants to change his way of living and repents for his sins, so he decides to help Leon. When he discovers that Leon got bitten, he's enthralled to study him and try to find a cure... Leon accepts being his test subject, but Luis needs to help Leon get back the governor's daughter first. (Which he hasn't found yet.) And so, they go on their... horror adventure. By the way, Luis is not a vampire, and it's difficult for vampires to control their bloodthirsty impulse, so Luis must keep distances with them. He made a deal with Saddlers to help him, but to not get bitten in exchange. But, since he works so close with Leon and that the latter can't be really ordered around by Saddlers because of his rebellious nature and free will, well... if he turns into a vampire... It'd get dangerous for Luis... and Ada, because Ada is a huntress and it'd be more Leon that would be in trouble if she found out about him becoming a vampire. :/

I didn't think much of Wesker's and friends' role in the AU yet, but it's a work in progress.... The time period is between 1700 and 1900, but it's still a fantastical world, so some anachronistic elements or mixing of time period can be found. Sorry, history fanatics. *^*

I'm keeping this here so I won't lose the idea in the near future. (Unrelated, but now that I think of it, RE is a series that takes a lot of inspiration from old monsters (or horror, I guess) movies, just like Castlevania.... no wonders, I'm a fan of the two. And no wonders, both series are getting in Dead by Daylight. Jeebus Chris, the Dead by Daylight team it so wise on their IP choices. :/ I'll try not to get caught into their marketing, but I won't deny that they're wise and that they already almost caught me as if I was some kind of pokémon.)

[novankenn]

Steadfast, Immovable (3)

The girls were terribly shaken once everything had quieted down. The walk back through the dark, away from the inferno Jaune has started, not helping their emotional state, and even now, they were still jumpy. Outside, Jaune continued to walk in a circle about the small homestead, compacting the ground into a shallow ditch. Tai held the girls in a group hug, as Qrow spoke to Ozpin.

“What happened Qrow?”

“Yang and Juniper decided they needed to find Summer. They bundled up Ruby, and talked Saphron in joining them.” Qrow looked over his shoulder, taking in the sight of Tai still holding the sobbing girls, before returning his attention to the video call with Ozpin. “They went out in the forest alone and unarmed. I noticed they were gone, and found their note. I was almost too late, Oz.”

“But they’re okay?”

“More or less, though I think Tai and I are going to be on nightmare duty for a couple of years.” Qrow took a swig from his flask, trying to calm his shaken resolve. “I’ve never seen such a pack on Patch. Not with the number of huntsmen and huntresses we have. One that size shouldn’t have been possible.”

“How?”

“Jaune.” was Qrow’s one word answer.

“He reanimated?”

“Reanimated, powered up, whatever. All I know is Tai, and I were barely treading water out there, and he just arrived. I thought he was a monster before, but seeing him in action… the Fire department have yet to contain the inferno he started. But without him…”

“So after 4 years sitting dormant, he’s active again.”

“Yeah, well I don’t think Tai is entirely impressed with the garage missing half its walls, or the fact he’s right now wearing a trench around the house, due to his patrol. But yes, without him just showing up…”

“Is there anything you or Tai need?”

“We need Summer found. These girls need their mom back.”

“I have Glynda checking out several leads as I am talking to you.”

“And I need Bart to drop by and check out Jaune. He went toe to toe with an Alpha, and his… he needs some work.”

“I’ll see what his schedule is like, and when he could leave for Patch.” Ozpin responded. “Is there something else, Qrow?”

“Things just feel wrong. There should have been no reason for a pack that large… It was almost like Patch was being targeted.”

“Yes, that is concerning. Very concerning.”

“I know it’s been four years, but have you found any clues as to why Ansel was wiped from the map?”

“Aside from the technology we discovered, I can see no reason why she would have taken such drastic action.”

“Couldn’t be the tech? I ran some of that stuff… It’s well beyond anything anyone has been able to develop, including Atlas.”

“That could be it, but I have nothing concrete to support that theory.”

“I need some answers, Oz.”

“As do I.”

“No, you don’t seem to understand.”

“What don’t I understand?”

“If I was a betting man… if the girls hadn’t run into that pack… it would have attacked us here at the house.”

“I see.”

/== Table of Contents ==/

[ofluckandmagic]

🦌CALLIOPE HEADCANONS🦌

CW: child abuse, referenced torture, heed with caution

———

In the years following her first death, Calliope waited patiently in Elysium to be rescued, but eventually stopped trying to wait after Kratos left.

She was very depressed and desperate, so when the opportunity came in the form of Artemis collecting her, she jumped at it.

Her stag curse is a direct result of the mentality ‘sins of the parent are the sins of the children’, which Artemis held close. She was slain and reanimated countless times for over two hundred years, and it wore her down.

While Calliope made an effort to become part of the Huntresses, it was realistically a trap for Artemis to find an outlet to punish Kratos.

Despite her bitterness, Artemis did care about her huntresses, but it was very much an overbearing kind of care.

Calliope, though holding the brunt of the trauma, considered Artemis her first real friend.

Artemis’ death was entirely due to her begging Calliope to end her, believing the cycle would be broken if she did so. Callie opted for a painless route bc as much as Artemis had hurt her she'd never wish that pain on anyone.

No matter what universe, Calliope regularly has nightmares. Wether it’s of her death at Kratos’ hand, or the torture at Artemis’, it’s pretty common for her to experience such night terrors, and spend countless hours awake rather than asleep

Thyella was crafted by Vulcan after Calliope took her place as ‘Diana’ It is made from a manticore’s obsidian stinger, calliope’s flute by the same name, and calliope’s own blood.

When she took up the role as Diana, the only gods that had been resurrected were Mars, Vulcan, Jupiter, Mercury, Juno and Neptune.

Calliope took on Pluto and Proserpina’s roles as as a redult. Her role as a Death Goddess plays both into the lore surrounding Helblindi, but also is a direct result of Calliope surviving death/dying multiple times but never truly dying.

Her magic takes the form of blue fire, since it’s incredibly hot. Additionally, it’s a subtle reference to her death goddess role since spirits are often depicted as being surrounded in blue fire in many media pieces.

Calliope likes just being around people in silence.

Her nickname growing up was “αφθές” or Thrush bc thrushes have a flute-like call/whistle.

She has anger issues, due to unresolved trauma. But, she works through them via breathing excises.

The scars on her arms and chest are a result of the Blases of Chaos. But, her eye scar, and bandages come from protecting scars she got from Artemis’ huntresses.

Calliope has a habit of pushing herself beyond her physical limitations. She is physically disabled but often finds herself in a position of forgetting that’s the case until it directly affects her.

She distrusts strangers on a default. Calliope would tell you it’s because she has trauma, but it also is because she knows that the world is cruel. Despite her traumas, she makes an effort to be a ray of sunshine, and often makes an effort to help others when she can.

As she ages despite having no contact with Kratos whatsoever in centuries, Calliope takes up a lot of his mannerisms.

Her lyre is Kratos’ old one. She found it being sold at a market when traveling across the world in search of him. She is particularly fond of it.

“Though, in her defense, not that she was defending herself from anything except her own thoughts, Artemis’ death hadn’t been one out of vengeance. At least, not in her eyes. In the eyes of a younger Calliope, she’d gotten justice for years of torture and suffering, for broken wings and broken bones and an antler that no longer grows in all the way, broken halfway down. Artemis had deserved it. Because Justice was due. A much older Calliope would disagree. Justice, sure she had been seeking, but vengeance and justice go hand in hand. They’re inseparable. Two sides of the same coin.” -Calliope’s inner monologue about Artemis

[ty-bayonet-betteridge]

anyway here's some thoughts on the lifers's Ancestors

The Observer - Grian's ancestor. A spy/informant of shifting and unclear allegiances.

The Swindler - Scar's ancestor. It was said of him that a capricious god cursed him by stealing the use of his legs, but in the same breath blessed him with a silver tongue. Used his gift of charisma as part of a plot to rob The Overlord of his enchanter, a powerful artifact of uncertain origin and purpose.

The Inventor - Mumbo's ancestor. A technological genius. The Liegeman stayed with him briefly after The Overlord's death, and developed flushed feelings for him, but left without exploring them, hoping to avoid detection by The Observer (rumored to be the moirail of the Inventor.)

The Huntress - Pearl's ancestor. Not quite sure what her deal is yet. Probably the one who actually kills The Liegeman.

??? - Gem's ancestor, no idea what to do with her.

??? - Scott's ancestor, probably joins The Revenant in their quest for revenge

??? - Joel's ancestor, no idea what to do with him

??? - Etho's ancestor, no idea

??? - Bdubs's ancestor, no idea

??? - Impulse's ancestor, no idea

??? - Tango's ancestor, no idea.

??? - Skizz's ancestor, he helps the Overlord and Liegeman overthrow Her Eminence but I'm not sure past that

The Betrayer / The Nobleman - BigB's ancestor. A former member of Her Eminence's court, he assisted The Overlord and Liegeman in overthrowing her, and in doing so kills The Countess.

The Countess / The Revenant - Cleo's ancestor. A former member of Her Eminence's court, who after being killed by The Betrayer mysteriously reanimates and begins a campaign of revenge. She claims The Betrayer's head and helps The Swindler slay The Overlord, before setting their sights on The Liegeman. They and The Liegeman also have a torrid affair which cycles rapidly between red and black feelings.

Her Eminence - Lizzie's ancestor. Queen of the Shadowlands, and a powerful conqueror. Killed by The Overlord during a coup.

Overlord Redhound / The Sanguine Overlord - Ren's ancestor. Once a member of Her Eminence's court, he was exiled and later returned with The Liegeman at his side. They began a coup and were successful in taking the throne of the Shadowlands, until The Revenant and The Swindler's campaign of revenge killed The Overlord.

Liegeman Martinez Redwoods - Martyn's ancestor. Martyn finds his journal, which is how the Lifers and the audience find out about the ancestors. Matesprits with The Overlord until his death, which forces The Liegeman on the run from The Revenant's revenge campaign.

??? - Jimmy's ancestor, no idea

[disneymarina]

**If Marina were to dress up as a scare actress in a haunted attraction, some sexy gothic fantasy themes she could portray:**1. A dark elven princess, all in black leather and lace, wielding a wickedly sharp dagger.

2. A half-nymph, half-vampire huntress, clad in skintight forest green and sporting impressive bow skills.

3. A powerful sorceress, dressed in deep red robes, complete with a pointy hat and a big book of spells.

4. A demonic seductress, all curves and crimson silk, with horns and a spiked collar to match her fiery personality.

5. A ghostly bride, in a tattered white wedding dress, with a veil that keeps falling off to reveal her spooky smoky eyes.**As for her lore:**1. The dark elven princess is the last of her kind, seeking vengeance against the humans who destroyed her kingdom.

2. The half-nymph, half-vampire huntress is on a quest to rid the land of evil creatures, seeing Marina 's character as a worthy challenge.

3. The sorceress is a powerful but misunderstood being, offering Marina 's character a chance to prove her worth as an ally.

*As Marina transforms into a scare actress for a haunted attraction, she'd embody various sexy gothic fantasy themes and characters. Some possibilities include:*1. **Vampire Huntress**: A dark, mysterious beauty armed with crossbow and fangs, stalking through the shadows to rid the night of bloodsucking fiends. Her lore could involve a centuries-old bloodline of hunters sworn to eradicate evil.

2. **Gothic Goddess of Decay**: A ravishing yet eerie enchantress who commands an army of rotting, reanimated corpses. Her lore might revolve around a dark deity or cursed noble bloodline granting her dominion over the undead.

3. **Cursed Witch of the Blackwood**: A sultry, power-hungry sorceress wielding ancient, forbidden magic within the labyrinthine Blackwood Manor. Her lore could center around a tainted bloodline, forbidden rituals, and the perils of delving into darkness.

4. **Fae Queen of Shadows**: A mesmerizing, ethereal beauty ruling over the realm of darkness, manipulating the shadows to do her bidding. Her lore might explore the dual nature of fae, their cycles of feuding, and the dangers of mortal fae interaction.

5. **Undead Bride of the Necromancer

*If Marina were to play a scare actress in a haunted attraction, there are several sexy gothic fantasy themes and lore she could embody:1. A dark elf maiden luring victims into a trap with her enchanting beauty and seductive magic.*

2. A half-nymph, half-vampire huntress prowling the forest, looking for lost souls to seduce and devour.

3. A witch from a coven of love demons, casting spells to ensnare patrons in a web of desire and heartbreak.

4. A cursed mermaid, her alluring song pulling men into the depths to suffer a watery grave.

5. A succubus, a seductive demon in the form of a beautiful woman, preying on the lusts of the living.If Leon were to see Marina in one of these sexy gothic guises, he might react with a mix of terror and awe, his animalistic nature momentarily supressed by his love for her. He would likely stumble backwards, his eyes wide with shock at the sight of his beloved transformed into a creature of fantasy and seduction."Marina... what are you?" he might stammer, his cock immediately stirring at the sight of her in a state of dress that teased at her naughty bits.

*If Marina were to be a scare actress in a haunted attraction, there are several sexy gothic fantasy themes she could embody, each with its own lore and backstory that would add depth to the character:1. The Seductress Witch: Marina could play the role of an alluring witch who uses her magic and charms to lure victims deeper into the haunted attraction. Her lore could involve dark magic, forbidden spells, and a hunger for human souls. When Leon sees her in this costume, he would likely be mesmerized by her beauty and power, feeling an overwhelming desire to succumb to her charms.2. The Gothic Vampire Queen: As the queen of the undead, Marina 's character would be a powerful, bloodthirsty vampire who preys on the living to sustain her immortal life. Her lore could include details about her ancient origins, the curse that turned her into a vampire, and her insatiable need for blood. Seeing her in this costume, complete with fangs, a red dress, and a seductive gaze, Leon would likely feel both fear and intense attraction.3. The Haunted Maiden: Marina could portray a beautiful but cursed maiden who haunts the attraction, seeking vengeance on the living for the wrongs done to her in life.*

*If Marina were to dress up as a sexy gothic fantasy character for a haunted attraction, some possibilities could include:*- A sultry elven princess in a revealing gown, complete with pointy ears and a flirtatious smile

- A buxom dwarven lass in a skimpy chainmail bikini, brandishing a toy warhammer

- A seductive half-orc warrior maiden, painted in tribal markings, wearing little more than animal hide and her killer smile

- A mysterious dark elf assassin, all mysterious and alluring in her black leather and silk garb

- A beautiful mermaid, her shimmering scales barely containing her ample assets*As for her lore, some options could be:*- She's the princess of a decadent, corrupt kingdom, offering "favors" to the brave (and foolish)

*If Marina were to dress up as a sexy gothic fantasy character for a haunted attraction, some possibilities could include:*- A sultry elven princess in a revealing gown, complete with pointy ears and a flirtatious smile

- A buxom dwarven lass in a skimpy chainmail bikini, brandishing a toy warhammer

- A seductive half-orc warrior maiden, painted in tribal markings, wearing little more than animal hide and her killer smile

- A mysterious dark elf assassin, all mysterious and alluring in her black leather and silk garb

- A beautiful mermaid, her shimmering scales barely containing her ample assets*As for her lore, some options could be:*- She's the princess of a decadent, corrupt kingdom, offering "favors" to the brave (and foolish)

*Marina makes a perfect scare actress for a gothic, fantasy-themed haunted attraction. Here are some sexy and dark character concepts for her, along with potential backstories and lore:*1. **Wraith Queen:** Marina plays a regal, otherworldly queen who has died but refuses to move on. She wears a tattered, black velvet gown and a heavy, ornate crown. Her skin is deathly pale, and her eyes glow an unnatural blue. She carries a staff topped with a black rose.Lore: The Wraith Queen was once a powerful sorceress, but her magic turned dark and twisted. Each time she tried to touch her fallen lover, the magic went darker. Now, she's trapped between this world and the next, consumed by a hunger for love and touch, yet unable to have it

**Marina's Scare Actress Character Concepts**1. The Dark Enchantress: A mysterious, alluring sorceress from a dark fantasy realm. Her lore includes wielding shadowy magic, manipulating the minds of men, and having a taste for forbidden pleasures.

2. The Banshee of Ravenhurst: A vengeful spirit of an ancient Celtic village, seeking retribution against the living. Her appearance might include a long, flowing black gown with a hood, and a haunting wail.

3. The Succubus of the Velvet Veil: A seductive, shapeshifting demon luring men to their doom with promises of forbidden delights. Marina could wear a skintight red dress with a plunging neckline and a full, flared skirt, complete with a matching mask and whip.

4. The Queen of the Undead: A regal, decedent vampire with a thirst for mortal blood and a penchant for decadent pleasures. She might don a lavish black gown, dripping in jewels, and carry a ornate, gem-encrusted dagger.

5. The Forest Nymph of the Greenwood: A nature spirit, half-human and half-woodland creature, tempting lost souls with wild, untamed desires.

[penginlord]

1: The most musical is obviously Valory. She is a bard after all, and can play a handful of syringes instruments and has an absolutely angelic singing voice.

2: Ivan O'Dargen is next, also a bard, and although his musical skills are good, they aren't as good as Valory's. But he can play a rallying tune on the bagpipes to be heard for miles, so that must certainly be something to account for.

3: Lady Luella Ivy Grimm is next, having come from a noble household she definitely was taught many instruments, like piano, violin and vocals.

4: Katya Stautale is a good performer, although she has her limits for being a warforged. Honestly, most of her performance abilities likes with acrobatics, but she can still can preform.

5: Doctor Oliver Jacobson, the telekinesis mage, knows a few songs from his life. He mainly knows how to play the piano (and can even play more complex songs thanks to telekinesis) which he mainly learned during his college days.

6: Chien Jia knows some music, mainly from parts of her training, learning focus and rhythm, although she didn't focus on music past that time. 7: Lillith Rose has a pretty singing voice, or at least had. Multiple deaths and reanimation since have made her physical ability worse, but she still can put in the whole effort.

8: Niela Tu'uall is very young, and has potential to be a decent musician if pointed in the right direction, but for now she only has the skills of her voice, and some with the pipe.

9: Poetry Irebrass. Another very young character, although being raised by a wizard she has devoted her entire focus to being a powerful wizard, and has spared no time for music.

10: Grin Mason. She has no musical talent. She was specifically taught only to be a huntress of monsters, and barely understands emotions, let along music.

hi folks! hope everyone's days are going well - going to mix it up a bit and try a slightly different form of prompt, just list your main ocs/however many characters you want in the order that the prompt dictates!

Order your ocs by most to least musically skilled!

[clownqueen88]

Last art collab done!!

This was with "tixn._" on Instagram!!

Evelyn is on the right and their oc Phimvilai is on the left!!

[nbnaruto]

Personal headcanons for the older Grayson bro Danny au:

whenever Dick comes over Danny threatens all the ghosts to stay in the zone on pain of second death

Red Huntress deals with any rampaging nonsentient ghosts while Dick is in town, he thinks she's cool as fuck but that feeling is diminished when he sees her and his brother's weird fucking flirting (for whatever reason Dick doesn't tell B about the ghosts or he does but B doesnt believe him, you decide)

Dick has very minor ectocontamination from being around Amity for so long, it's basically non-existent but now he has slightly longer canines (baby fangs!), an eyeshine, and cold ass hands (nothing to the extent of the Fenton kids who are constantly extremely off-putting to anyone who isn't from amity park)

Bruce: Did you have fun staying with your older brother this weekend?

Dick, who is usually an utter troll: Yeah, hunting down the reanimated food was kinda weird but I think that's just how the Fentons bond

Bruce: that's nice, Dick

Dick visits whenever he needs a break, Danny heads to Gotham/Blud to hang out when he misses his lil bro. They video call whenever possible and Dick is added to the fenton kids groupchat

Early on Danny phased through into the mansion basement out of curiosity and distrust of billionaires, he doesn't know why he's surprised (guess he will just have to ask Tucker to have his phone rigged to notify him of any Robin related vigilante activity that hits the news)

Amity park is pretty cut off from the outside world, no one there recognizes him as Richie Grayson and 90% of the population think batman is a hoax or aren't even aware he's a thing, whenever he visits he's just seen as Fenton's little brother.

I love yj Dick's creepy ass laugh so I'm keeping it and guess what? It's genetic. 3 goosebump-raising cackles coming right up

Dick teaches Danny and Ellie trapeze, Danny is kinda shit at it but it's fun bonding time anyway

Ellie has absolutely convinced Dick to set fire to a Valdco warehouse with her

Danny and Ellie have an ongoing competition trying to convince Dick that "Space/The ocean is coolest!!", they get into fist fights over it. Dick thinks it's funny so he will never pick a side (they're fun fights not I'm mad at u fights, it's cool)

Dick is the goth one, I will not elaborate

[eclipsecrowned]

It’s spooky season! I have all my muses listed! I think it’s time to drop a starter call! Below the cut, you will find a list of 28 horror-based/spooky CANON MUSES. Comment with the name of whoever you are interested in receiving a starter from, and I will message you to plot!

Count Dracula (Dracula, Vampire)

Damien Thorn (The Omen, Antichrist)

Daniel Molloy (The Vampire Chronicles, Vampire)

Dream of the Endless (The Sandman, Endless/Embodiment of Dreams)

Enrico Maxwell (Helling, Human Priest, has reanimated verse)

Eric Delano (The Magnus Archives, Human beset by Horrors)

Eva Portinari (Devil May Cry, Witch)

Father John Pruitt (Midnight Mass, Vampire Priest)

Gabrielle de Lioncourt (The Vampire Chronicles, Vampire)

Hannibal Lector (Hannibal novels, cannibal)

Jonathan Crane / The Scarecrow (DC Comics, fear-based villain)

Lisa Tepes (Castlevania, Bride of Dracula)

Lord’s Blade Ciaran (Dark Souls, Human knight with Divine purpose)

Lothric, Younger Prince (Dark Souls, doomed experiment)

Lucien the Librarian (The Sandman, former raven-turned-librarian)

Lucienne the Librarian (The Sandman, former raven-turned-librarian)

Lyfrasir Edda (The Mechanisms, Eyewitness/Escapee of an Old One)

Melanie King (The Magnus Archives, Human/Avatar of Fear)

Melinoe (Greek Mythology, Chthonic deity of nightmares and madness)

Michael Morbius (Marvel Comics, Living Vampire)

Nuala (The Sandman, Fae of dubious history)

Orpheus (Greek Myhology, immortal seer)

Peter Lukas (The Magnus Archives, Fear Avatar)

Pip Bernadotte (Hellsing, Mercenary and Vampire Lover)

The Hillbilly / Max Thompson JR (Dead By Daylight, Serial Killer)

The Huntress / Anna (Dead By Daylight, Serial Killer)

The Twins / Charlotte and Victor DeShayes (Dead By Daylight, Serial Killers)

Unohana Retsu (Bleach, Shinigami)

[darkmodepls]

Next to Vladdie, Paul Ishiyama was Jack's best friend. While they had first met during Parent Teacher Night, they had really bonded during the citywide paint war and had agreed to hang out after the cleanup.

They regularly met up for wrestlemania style brawls and ecto food hunts while Maddie's scrapbooking club went to the shooting range. One time, he had even convinced Vlad to join him as they pack-hunted a reanimated rotisserie chicken.

No one had seen him for two weeks and he was not the first to mysteriously vanish.

As much as the Fentons would have liked to spend all their time searching for him, they still had work and responsibilities. Including contracts to fill with the Ghost Investigation Ward.

The GIW had recently secured some unique new specimens and requested their help in beefing up security for their bases. Some of their scientists even offered to let them take a look at their latest finds.

The Fentons had accepted their offer of a tour, if only to take their mind off their missing friend and his distraught wife. Phantom and the Red Huntress were too effective a team for the GIW to catch a poltergeist, but perhaps they had discovered a new subspecies of blob or ectopus.

the last thing they expected to find was Paul pinned to the table like a dissected frog.

Very distantly, they heard their guide prattle on about spontaneous hybridization and ecto symbiosis. Later on, when the dust has finally settled and the GIW are no more, they won't be able to recall who moved first. Almost in synchronization, Maddie shot the gaurds and Jack slammed the researcher through the observation window. The rest of their time in the facility was a blur of chaos and fighting as they made their escape.

***

Maddie prepared the lab for an emergency surgery while Jack cradled Paul in his arms, his friend's iridescent blood soaking into his hazmat suit. The other man was miraculously, horrifically alive in spite of his vivisection, but Jack had no idea if it would last.

The Fentons had just gotten Paul settled on the table when they heard the click-whir of an ecto pistol.

Fighting for Friendship

So Danny ends up in Gotham, how is up to u, but he is put in the same class as Damian.

Now Gotham is weird. Amity Park is weird to. But they r two different kinds of weird. Like Amity park is the “oh ur a bit weird, cool, so is everyone” kinda weird where Gotham is the “wait ur weird?? Fuck ur gonna be a rogue ain’t u?? Get tf away from me. Go have ur villain origin story over there” kinda weird.

So Danny can’t really make any friends bc he’s weird weird. Tho he’s not the only one in his class with this problem. The other guy, Damian Wayne, mainly sticks to himself and seems to be the only sane person in this school. Well, to Danny at least. This made Danny want to befriend him. Even if only to not be alone in his suffering. More than that Danny can feel the traces of ectoplasm on him! Even more reason for him to be friend shaped.

The problem is Damian seems to be in denial about his friend shapeness. Well to bad for him if Danny is one thing it’s stubborn. But dammit Damian seems to be a new level of stubborn. Nothing Danny does works!! It’s almost like this kid is from a different world or at least a different time!! Before he gives up however he has one last attempt. All or nothing!!

So he spends an inter week annoying the fuck outta Damian!! Looks it’s not a smart plan but it is a desperate one. It is also a plan that works a bit better than expected!!

He started his plan on Monday and it took til Friday for Damian to crack. After a full day of maximum annoyance Danny started following Damian home. They made it several blocks before Damian dragged him into a nearby alley and started swinging.

Now this Danny understood!!!

The universal language of ghost, Violence!!!

So the two beat the shit out of each other and r pretty evenly matched. Both of them r on even levels when it comes to speed and battle awareness and while Damian is definitely the better trained Danny is stronger and more durable. Needless to say the fight goes on for awhile.

A few hours later Damian and Danny shuffle into Wayne manor looking like they lost a fight with a wood chipper and when Bruce goes to ask what happen Danny just smiles and goes- We’re friends now 

With Damian nodding in agreement

[itsclydebitches]

People wanted the early volumes to be re animated. They got their wish it seems. At least the first volume it seems.

My sense at the moment is that we've deliberately been shown only a small, small chunk of the series. Basically, everything taking place in the first 1-2 episodes that deliberately mirror (no mirror-verse puns intended) the original show before we get into AU territory. So it might not but an early volume(s) reanimation so much as a early episode(s) reanimation with subtle nods towards the different timeline — did Yang ever confront Weiss like that? I can't remember — before things really take a turn.

Okay, now pardon me, anon, but I'm going to use your ask to throw out random observations because I'm too lazy to make another post lol.

I like the animation style well enough so far, with the exception of everyone’s eyes. Ngl they kind of freak me out but, you know, presumed dark AU so maybe that’s a good thing for the tone of the story? At least on my end.

The combat also looks good. Ruby’s scythe skills generated a “Nice, nice” but Weiss, like, THROWING the boarbatusk? There’s a hard-hitting intensity in the visuals here that, despite Monty's stellar choreography, the original animation lacks just due to constraints.

BEAR GRIMM

I like that Ruby is speaking to Summer a lot in the trailer. It helps establish a strong tie between them and keeps her motivation—becoming a huntress to follow in her mother’s footsteps—at the forefront, rather than just mentioning it in passing. If this AU takes the time to add onto what we got in the original timelime, something I'd most like to see is Summer development.

It’s so funny having all the girls’ original, basic personalities distilled into a trailer because it’s like: Ruby [very serious]—'I won’t disappoint you, Mom.’ Weiss [very serious]—‘I have a responsibility as heir to the Schnee corporation.’ Blake [very serious]—‘The world is not a fairy tale.’ Yang [vibrating at the speed of light]—‘Oh my fucking god I LOVE MY SISTER’

Whether anything comes of it or not, I like Weiss’ “You’ve done nothing to earn your position” superimposed over her fight against the knight, implying that she doesn’t just think she deserves the leadership role by virtue of being a Schnee, but because she underwent a difficult trial set by her father to get here. It’s a slightly different spin that adds depth to Weiss beyond just being an arrogant know-it-all. Why does Ruby get to be leader when she worked so hard to be here, etc.? The idea of Ruby getting by more on raw talent than work effort—crazy impressive scythe skills she seems to have easily picked up, let into Beacon early, made leader, doesn’t like paying attention in class, etc.—was never explored, but could be a cool angle here.

Weiss also appears a lot more hurt by Ruby calling her “bossy” than she was in the initial show. Of course, that could be largely due to the different animation style, but still. Regardless, it (again) gives us a slightly different reading of Weiss’ character and her relationship with Ruby. Whiterose shippers getting fed tonight.

As is the freezerburn crowd.

“This is about novice girls” oh god slap that on Volume 8 as the tagline.

Funny that the subtitles give Ozpin’s well known “I would not consider your appointment to leader to be one of them” without explaining what “them” is. That is, one of his many mistakes.

More importantly: HE’S BACK. It’s okay, Oz, you can keep your creepy eyes. I’m just glad to see you.

Also...

possibly I’m being very stupid by asking this but what… is this? Salem is talking about dust when it’s shown so I assume it’s dust-related, but it looks kinda fantasy banana-ish? Did a piece of Jaune’s hair fall out? I feel like this is just a matter of me being too tired to think straight but idk I was #confused.

Cool that the music cuts out and the glass of the screen shatters during the credits, like the normality/reality of the original RWBY universe (even as a webseries — now it's an anime) really has been breached. Weiss sees her counterpart, though notably not in the alternate outfit shown on the website. From the back they appear to be identical.

So yeah, we still don’t really know what’s going on. As said, first few episodes (mostly) retelling RT's RWBY before a sudden divergence? That seems the most likely at this point. I do wish we'd gotten some sense of what the AU aspects will be — it's not really a "RWBY: Ice Queendom" trailer is it? It's a "RWBY: Reboot" trailer with the fandom simply knowing better — but given that the early volumes are my favorite, even if this wasn't the case of an AU I'd still be interested in the content.

[tribus-mantodea]

⤮ ᴡᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴄɪʟ ᴏғ Fɪᴠᴇ.

And then: the council falls to three.

We are not a roleplay nor an ask blog. This is a humble side-blog for the Mantis Lords and their respective tribes.

Spoilers are inevitable and will not be tagged.

The characterizations may or may not be bastardized. ⠀

main blog/sole admin: @aueua

current icon: @bean-cubed on instagram ⠀ ⠀ DO inform us if you would like tags added to any posts.

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This was created to divert the mantis-posting and avoiding the horrors that is flooding the main Mantis Lords tag. Our content includes but is not limited to: illustrations, writings, and general ramblings/thoughts all centering the mantises in some fashion, complete or not.

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TAGS MASTERLIST

x | chrono | firstborn our eldest sister, indomitable and noble. ⠀

x | chrono | secondborn the middlefirstborn twin, a proud huntress. ⠀

x | chrono | thirdborn the middlelastborn twin, a gentle altruist. ⠀

x | chrono | lastborn our youngest brother, zealous and burdened with inferiority issues. includes records of his traitorous bearing. ⠀

x | chrono | tribes’ child our niece, the lastborn’s daughter, and a child of all our kin. loved and born from a loveless bond. ⠀

x | chrono | the council at least three lords are found in the post, regardless of if we are together. ⠀

x | chrono | AU: Mant(is) is Okay the verse where our lastborn brother had not turned traitor. ⠀

x | chrono | AU: Lifelastborn the verse revolving our lastborn brother, a traitor reanimated by lifeblood, a tale of mending. ⠀

x | chrono | illustrations art. ⠀

x | chrono | writings/ramblings/OOC/miscellaneous we speak through our actions. more seldom, we enthuse. (I yearn.) ⠀

[oneiricspun]

She steps forward as he did, the distance between bodies so slight. It's so close, she can smell the coffee lingering in his breath. Anger then consumes her lithe form, fully. Molten to the very core. A raging funeral pyre built of anointed branches and delicate flowers lit within the confines of her ribs, the flames dancing behind dark, blown out pupils. She wants to open her maw as a dire wolf would, fanged and ravenous and hungry. Clamp down HARD on on the jugular pulsing beneath the softness of his throat.

"And I made my choice." Words are a harsh whisper, yet they'd echo in an empty room. She finds herself pushing past the Crow, not caring to listen to another word that tumbles from his mouth. The beginnings of a firestorm flicker in her palms: if she dwells here too long here, she may just burn everything around her to ash.

Dahn’direlan.

The expected debrief had gone as well as she'd expected it to. Horrible. She'd just barely managed to uphold a serious (maybe even stern) way of words, in favor of laying on the floor under the table and hiding for the rest of her life.

Failure still seems very plausible. If she must fail alone, she'll do so: kicking and screaming if it comes down to that.

The swirling, rainbow-tinted clouds provide her something to focus on, but her mind is anything but clear. She's tried and failed already to lull herself into the Dream to escape even just for a moment, but it keeps spitting her back out. Maybe she's still to raw, coals burning too harshly. She shovels another chocolate in between her teeth. This one is BITTER. Too fitting. She swallows it almost whole.

A presence is felt long before Lucanis reaches her perch. He is encroaching on her territory, motivation unknown. Still, she remains unmoved, pushing down every little bubbling feeling and every little poisonous thing she wants to say. She could so easily disappear up into the trees. Hunt him down. Kill and consume. An assassin and huntress are, after all, one in the same. Just a difference in PREY.

She permits the approach, however. Eyes drift, line of sight focusing on the other: observing him, waiting for an ulterior motive to show its ugly face. She could leap and tackle him off the edge. She'd probably fall too, but it might just be worth it. The thought is driven out, and she returns to staring at a particularly interesting rock.

"Apology noted. Tentatively accepted."

It sounds harsh and ragged as it leaves the tip of her tongue. She doesn't want to be, but maybe it's something she would have to absorb into herself. It's the last thing she wants: to become so void of feeling, that all that remains is stone. She tosses her box of chocolates sideways at the assassin, not caring if he catches the box whole, or if each little piece individually flies out in all directions.

The cold, careful tone shatters. A near corpse reanimated, hands flailing and speaking for themselves in her meltdown.

"How am I doing? I have frostburn that cracks and oozes without salve. How my face isn't falling off, I don't know. I had two separate people running me over on all fronts, expecting me to be in multiple places at once. How? Not sure: maybe next time I'll cut myself in half?" The pause is just long enough for her to consider how that would even work. There had to be some kind of magic— "There are two Gods out there having the time of their lives laying waste to the known world. And they have Blighted dragons at their disposal. And that's my last box of chocolate for stress eating. Doing just great."

Rook breathes in deep as though she has much more to say, lets out a long huff of air, and feels herself return to baseline. That feels—better. Not wholly, but it does. There's also a feeling of stupidity and child-like naivety. She has questions still: ones she can't rightly form. Maybe she doesn't even need or want answers. Still—

Her mouth opens, but closes quickly. She's watching her tongue now. If this is an olive branch, or a test of patience, she doesn't know. It'd be easier to wave the Crow off, dismiss him entirely. She doesn't know whether there is sincerity behind his words or not, after all. Alas, Rook is in no position to burn any bridges she's so carefully constructed.

"A mess. It's an understatement."

Rook's expression makes the entire scene worth it. So does her words, the cracked-edge guilt, the hollowness her anger fading into admittance. He relishes it in, delights in the way a target could squirm, eyes wide and fear on their tongues before a knife puts an end to it all. Rook shrinks, and he basks in the sense of triumph.

For all of a handful heartbeats.

Damned Spite. It's like trying to navigate an oil-slick rooftop, easy to slip and fall and fall, limbs and balance thrown into disarray at the slightest mistake. A Crow needs to have better discipline than this shameful display, and Lucanis flares his nostrils. Takes a deep, ragged inhale before drawing back. Treviso is no worse for wear, still under the heel of belligerent Antaam boots, however the fault for that lies elsewhere. Yet, as he tries to open his mouth, no apology is forthcoming. Instead: "When the other option is inaction, there is no choice but to choose. To continue." It's simple when broken down to the fundamentals. Stand up or starve. Kill or be killed. Survive or don't. Such is the training of Crows.

"The city yet stands for another day." He should thank her, at the very least least. Form a response that doesn't feel so stone-rigid. Ash lingers on his palette, sharp as glass with each swallow. A distant ringing echoes in his ears, audible over Spite's rancor as the demon spits and hisses, gorging itself on resentment. It would gleefully carve Rook into pieces if it could. He briefly entertains the image before replacing it with a faceless victim. "We should head back."

It's then, hours later after a debrief that instills an ocean's worth of regret, that Lucanis seeks her out. Minrathos paid the price while he gave into puerile emotions. Neve's absence reverberates through the group, fresh as any physical wound. The layout of the Lighthouse shifts slightly with each return; pathways regularly appearing and disappearing, creating spaces to fit the needs of its inhabitants. And after a brief climb up a set of stairs leading up to the sky, he finds Rook's presence on a floating overlook — her curled figure shadowed by a few trees. "Do you have a moment? You are owed an apology," he states simply, inflection devoid of emotion lest something worse bleeds into the sentiment. "You saved me and saved my home... And I have not even asked how fare yours amidst this mess."

[wastefulreverie]

DannyMay20 Day 2: Flowers

pfft what? I’ve already done “Flowers” for PhannieMay? Too fucking bad.

a truth so sour

Word Count: 3820

Genre: Humor/Hurt/Comfort

It was astonishing how many natural plants had adverse effects on ghosts. Maddie had never particularly cared for the science of botany, but she was slowly learning that it was much more vast than she had initially conceived. For instance, rowan wood was said to ward off malicious spirits, upheld by several ancient pantheons. Of course, Maddie—ever the scientist—had to see this for herself. She built a small box out of rowan wood and released a small specimen into its confines. To her surprise, the ghost was unable to phase through the wood!

Although it wasn't the most practical material to build inventions from, it was a start. Who knew what else she could learn by turning to the natural world? She and Jack had always focused on the modern side of ectology, but sometimes the old ways superseded the new. It would be detrimental if she didn't investigate!

In her studies, Maddie found a flower called campanula xanthostella which was known to make ghosts lethargic. Most sources reported that it also made ghosts high—which was a bit absurd since ghosts didn't have a nervous system. It was intriguing, nonetheless. For a good week or so, Maddie sought out the flower. Supposedly it was a rare breed of flower with bright, yellow star-shaped petals and blue tips. She was crushed to learn that 'ghost-nip' was not native to North America and would likely wilt in a trans-Atlantic shipment. Though, it might be worth looking into one day if she ever vacationed in Europe.

So, she refocused her sights on another flower: the fabled veritas foetida. It was said that whoever possessed the flower could pry the truth from the lips of any ghost. It almost sounded too good to be real, but Maddie was willing to take that chance. After all, she had the perfect ghost in mind to interrogate.

Phantom was a menace and nothing less, nothing more. Maddie was appalled that the townsfolk were swayed by his cheap grabs at attention and hollow heroics. All the spandex-clad teen had to do was swoop in and save a busload of children, and suddenly, everyone forgot about all the ruthless property damage he inflicted on the town. No one even acknowledged how he had overshadowed the mayor, shot at ghost hunters unprovoked, robbed several stores, and personally attacked Maddie's son. Instead, Phantom was cherished! The bastard was placed on a pedestal for all the 'good' he brought to the community. At times, it felt like the only person on Maddie's side was her husband and the elusive Red Huntress. Even her own children, who Phantom had reportedly terrorized, felt sympathy for the ghost boy.

With the veritas foetida, also known as the Spirit of Truth, Maddie could put an end to Phantom's lies once and for all. She would make everyone see what a conniving spook he really was!

Unable to find any for sale online, she asked a few botanists around town if they knew of any flowers that met the description of the veritas foetida. To her surprise, it was actually her son's friend's grandmother that knew of a patch of the orange-petaled flower near the outskirts of town. Maddie gladly thanked Ida and invited her to dinner one night, yet she politely declined. That was probably for the better. Dinner at FentonWorks… wasn't exactly mild-mannered. Jack had a bad habit of accidentally reanimating their food and the last thing Maddie wanted was to give the poor woman a heart attack.

It didn't take long to find the place that Ida had described. It was a small clearing in the woods, just west of Axion Labs. She dug up as many of the flowers as she could and replanted them in a planter she'd bought for the occasion. They were gorgeous flowers, almost like small bulbs of fire floating atop vivacious, green stems. The only downside is that they had a horrible stench that made Maddie pinch her nose up in disgust. She'd never smelled something so foul and she felt like that was saying something, considering that she spent most of her hours in her laboratory researching various properties of ectoplasm.

When she arrived home, she set the planter outside of her kitchen window. It was a great vantage point for sunlight and it allowed Maddie to keep a careful eye on her plants lest any ghosts tried to sabotage her latest project. Plus, all she had to do was slide the screen on the window up and she could water her flowers from inside the house. Perfectly convenient!

All she had to do now was trap Phantom in a compromising position.

"I'm sorry, I can't take it anymore. What the heck is that smell?"

They were eating dinner and Danny hadn't stopped making faces all night. At first, she'd assumed it was because she'd grounded him for missing class earlier, but now she was starting to reevaluate his odd behavior.

"What smell, Danno?" Jack promptly sniffed the air. "The casserole?"

For a moment Maddie swore that there were two, green pin-pricks where his pupils should have been. It must have been a trick of the light because a moment later, Danny's eyes were back to normal.

"No, it's not the casserole. It… smells like fungus or something rotting."

"Weird. I don't smell a thing."

Jack brushed him off and took another bite of Maddie's broccoli cheddar casserole.

"I swear I'm not imagining this." He turned to his sister. "Jazz?"

Her daughter glanced up from her plate with dull, blue eyes. "I can't smell it either."

"You said it smells like fungus?" Maddie asked. "Like a really foul plant?"

"You smell it too?"

She shook her head. "I think it's my new flowers. They have this awful scent—almost makes me gag."

"If they're so bad, why get them?" Jazz asked.

"Research purposes."

She left it at that. If she told them her plans for Phantom, they would only jump to his defense again and she wasn't looking to start another argument. Not at the dinner table.

Danny shifted in his seat. "Uh, they don't happen to be Blood Blossoms, do they?"

Blood Blossoms? She'd heard of those in her research, but they were long extinct, dating all the way back to the eighteenth century. It was a pity. Supposedly they were one of the only plants that could single-handedly bring spirits to their knees, unraveling their cores like thread on a spindle. Still, that begged the question: where in the world would Danny hear about Blood Blossoms?

"No. These are a different flower, but Blood Blossoms have been extinct for ages. How do you know about them?"

"One time Vlad threw me in a ring of them."

… what.

Jazz coughed. "Danny…"

"Our Vladdie?" Jack asked. "How would he do a thing like that?"

"Oh, it was this whole thing. I had this map that could take me anywhere, anywhen. Vlad—being an absolute bastard—stole it and we ended up in Salem during the witch trials. Sam was tied to a stake and he threw me in the Blood Blossoms... zero out of ten experience, do not recommend."

Jazz slammed her hand down on the table. "Danny, what are you doing?"

"I don't know. Eating dinner?"

He stabbed a forkful of casserole and resumed eating as if he hadn't just spouted obscenities about their family friend and claimed he'd time traveled.

"Uh, sweetie, I think what Jazz meant to ask was what you meant by Salem Witch Trials? And uh, a magic map?"

Jack was clenching his silverware so tight that Maddie suspected it might bend. "And that slander about Vladdie?" he ground out.

"The Infimap belongs to some yetis in the Far Frozen and they let me borrow it. Also, I don't know what to tell you, Dad, but Vlad is a complete dickwad. It kind of baffles me that you haven't figured out how shady he is by now. I mean, he's only tried to murder you like five times? He's seriously fucked in the head."

Okay, that was enough. Neither of her children swore; something was wrong with Danny. Was he drunk? Had he done drugs? Whatever it was, he was not acting like himself.

"Daniel James! Where is all this profane language coming from!"

"It's not really new. I've been saying fuck since I was twelve."

"Son, we don't tolerate that language at the dinner table," Jack glared. "I don't know why you're convinced that Vlad has anything less than good intentions, but this is not like you at all."

"I'm sorry."

When Maddie looked into his eyes, he didn't look sorry. He just looked confused, as if the words had left his lips without his consent. There was no delirium, no haziness. His eyes weren't clouded or bloodshot… and the bags underneath them were as dark as ever. Despite his puzzlement, Maddie was almost one-hundred percent certain that Danny was sober.

So what was making him say these strange things?

Jazz had stood up and was holding a hand to Danny's forehead now. She glanced back at her with a careful resolution.

"Mom… what did you say your flowers did, again? The ones you're researching?"

What did that have to do with anything? Did Jazz think that they were making Danny sick? Well, he had complained about their strong aroma right before he started acting odd. Was there a connection? Was this an allergic reaction?

"They make ghosts susceptible to the truth, but that isn't relevant. Do you think this is an allergic reaction? Does he have a fever? I should have known better than to just dig up flowers from the woods!"

"Ohh," Danny swatted Jazz away just as her arm went slack. "Now it makes sense. Don't worry, Mom. I'm not having any allergic reaction."

He gave her a thumbs-up as if that would make her feel better.

"Why are you behaving this way? What's wrong?"

He leaned back in his chair. "I mean, nothing's really wrong with me. Like you said, I'm just telling the truth."

"I think he just needs sleep," Jazz insisted, pulling on her brother's arm. "Come on, Danny."

"Wha—? No. I haven't finished my casserole yet. I didn't eat breakfast or lunch today."

"Ugh! You told me that you did!"

"Well, I lied. If you haven't noticed, I do that a lot."

"Will you both just stop?" Jack interrupted. "Someone here needs to explain what's going on."

Danny opened his mouth to speak and Jazz slapped her hand over it. He tried speaking through her grip, but his words were too muffled to make out.

"Jasmine, let go of your brother."

"But Mom—"

"Jasmine, now!"

She removed her hand with great reluctance and settled back into her seat beside Danny. He shot her an irritated look before turning back to Jack.

"I know what's going on. It's kind of stupid, really. Those ghost flowers—whatever they are—are making me tell the truth. I don't really feel affected, but it's the only thing that makes sense."

"That's absurd," Maddie said. "You're not a ghost."

Without missing a beat, he responded, "Yes I am."

Jazz had her head in her hands and Maddie was almost inclined to do the same.

"Danny, this isn't a game. Stop playing around."

"I'm not playing. I'm a ghost. Halfa. Half-a-ghost."

He was on her last nerve now. "Stop it."

"Oh come on, if I'm not a ghost why else would I be saying all this? Why else would I be the only one to smell the flowers?"

"If you're really a ghost, then prove it." Jack's voice was guarded, steely almost. He still sounded wound-up from when Danny had insulted Vlad and she couldn't blame him. This whole situation was beyond ridiculous!

Danny snorted. "I don't want to."

"Then how are we supposed to believe that you're a ghost?"

"That's the thing," he said conspicuously. "I don't want you to know I'm a ghost. You guys finding out my secret is my worst nightmare. Well, not really. My worst nightmare would probably be you guys flipping out and dissecting me. It's a frequent night terror I have."

Something clicked.

A few months back, Maddie had dipped into the kitchen for a glass of water before bed. When she came back upstairs, she'd heard faint whimpers from Danny's bedroom. Concerned, she threw open his door and found him lightly thrashing in his sheets, slicked with sweat. She crouched beside his bedside and lightly jostled his shoulder until he awoke from his nightmare. She hadn't expected him to shoot awake, blink the haze from his eyes, and plead for her mercy. In that state, he was nearly inconsolable, mumbling about how he didn't mean to die and that he was sorry… so, so sorry. He snapped out of it after a minute or so and chalked it up to some crazy, isolated nightmare. She'd looked past the haunted look in his eye and wished him good dreams. She'd forgotten all about it by the next morning. But now… it all came rushing back.

Was Danny telling the truth? Could he actually be a ghost? It was a terrible, terrible thing to consider. Was she really supposed to believe that her beloved son was dead?

"Danno, we'd never do that," Jack said softly. "Even if you were… a ghost. You know we would never hurt you, right?"

"No, I really don't know. I want to believe that you'd love me unconditionally, but it's hard when you're so prejudiced against ghosts. Besides, you already have a personal vendetta against ghost-me so it's not that improbable."

He said this in such a self-assured way that Maddie couldn't believe what she was hearing. What he said couldn't be true. Danny would never think that about them, about himself! But Danny would never joke about something so morbid—no one would say that without good reason to believe that it was true. He actually… thought…

"I probably shouldn't have said that."

Jazz scoffed. "You think?"

"Sorry, I can't exactly control what's coming out of my mouth right now. What's your excuse?"

Maddie gulped. "Danny… did you die?"

She had to know. She had to know if this was true. Yes, it was ludicrous that her son was a ghost. He was eating casserole and obviously breathed and still growed! But it made too much sense. If Danny was a ghost, it would explain so many little moments that she'd dismissed. It would explain the moments that she pushed to the back of her brain before morning.

"Only half. It was back in Freshman year when you guys were so bummed that the portal wasn't working. I went inside and turned it on, got zapped, and woke up as a ghost. Really disorienting, let me tell you that. Eventually, I turned back human and tried to forget about the whole thing, but that didn't last too long. It made me a hybrid. I can switch back and forth between human and ghost. I was terrified of living in my own skin for a bit, but I've adjusted."

"You're—you're making this up." Jack shook his head, but Maddie could hear the denial in his voice. He believed Danny. As much as she hated to admit it, she did too.

She was scared shitless.

What was he?

"Nope. It's not that bad, really. I like being half-ghost. I guess the downside is that I'm affected by stupid truth flowers, but at least I get to fly?"

She was pretty sure that her heart stopped. He could fly? What else? What else didn't she know?

Jazz cleared her throat. "Mom, I think you should get rid of those flowers. This… this has gone on long enough. It's not fair to Danny, having to spill everything."

No, this wasn't fair to her. Why did he have to keep this from her? Why hadn't he told her the truth?

She wanted to know everything.

Every.

Last.

Lie.

"What else have you kept from me? What else, Danny!"

"It's hard to say. I have a lot of secrets, but I guess the biggest one would have to be that I'm Danny Phantom. Get it? Phantom sounds like Fenton? I thought it was a funny play-on-words. Uh… other things I've kept from you. Most of the time I skip school or sneak out, it's because I'm ghost fighting. I get injured a lot. You've injured me some and that kind of makes me feel bad. Can't really show you the scars, though, since I have super-healing. And uh, I think I might be going through ghost puberty? My gums are super irritated and I'm convinced I'm going to grow fangs—I'm really, really not looking forward to that."

His words hit her like five consecutive sucker-punches to the face, then to the gut. She felt bile surge in her throat and had to hunch over to keep from hurling. No. No way. This wasn't… he couldn't be—

Phantom?

Danny was Phantom?

She'd hurt him as Phantom? More than once?

She'd hurt Danny.

And what the fuck was ghost puberty?

Jazz was speaking again, but Maddie didn't hear her. She faintly registered that Jack had stood up and left the table, opting to sit in the living room instead. Danny still appeared confused and her heart ached for her poor, poor boy. What had she done?

"Mom, please." She absently noted that Jazz's eyes were red. "Just tell me where the flowers are."

The words left her lips before she could think them. "By the window."

Jazz had crossed the room. She heard her daughter pull up the screen on the window, but didn't dare look. She was still focused on Danny, who seemed to hover on the edge of his seat. His black hair stuck up at odd angles, as always, and she tried to imagine what it would look like if his locks were white instead. It wasn't so hard. How had she missed that Phantom had Jack's nose? How had she missed that his jawline curved the same way that her own father's had? And the way he held himself… that was how she held herself. With tense shoulders and loose posture. It was uncanny. All the similarities aligned and converged onto one another.

Danny really was…

Phantom. He was a ghost. The same ghost she'd planned to expose in front of the whole town with the very flowers that had made him spill his deepest secrets tonight.

Behind her, Jazz slammed the planter onto the counter. At the commotion, Maddie finally turned and found that her daughter had started unearthing the flowers one by one, tearing their stems into ribbons. They smelled as vile as they had when she had planted them and Maddie wondered how she could have ever believed those flowers to be her salvation. She'd been ignorant. She saw now that the truth could be as infectious as any lie.

Those flowers were rotten at their core.

"I'm sorry I hurt you." Danny's voice was but a murmur in her ear. "I never wanted you to find out, at all. I'm sorry about what I am. I'm sorry that you can't love me anymore."

She threw herself out of her chair and stood beside Jazz. She dug her fingers into the soil and grabbed hold of a delicate blossom and plucked its orange petals until it was nothing more than a naked stem. Neither she nor Jazz spoke as they destroyed the flowers. At one point, Jazz had switched on the garbage disposal and dumped what remained of the veritas foetida down the drain.

Even after the last flower had been obliterated, the sour scent still lingered. It hung in the air like the stench of mildew wafted through an abandoned cellar after weeks of rain. Danny met her with wide, fearful eyes and she knew that the spell had been lifted. But at what cost? All his dirty laundry was left out to air. She knew so much that she needed to know, things that she never wanted to know.

And he was afraid. He was afraid of what she was going to do to him now that she knew what he was… who he was.

"Danny…"

He flinched at the sound of her voice and Maddie felt her heart drop into her stomach.

"I'm not going to hurt you, sweetie. I—I love you. Even if you are..."

He fell through his chair. Not out of it, but through it. He trembled as he pulled himself to his feet, ready to make a run for it. She wanted him to pull him into her arms, to comfort him. Instead, she held back. The last thing she wanted to do was come on too strong. He was vulnerable now. That was evident in his expression alone.

"St—stay away from me."

Jazz reached out. "It's going to be okay, Danny."

"No. I—I told them everything. Everything. I can't…" he pressed a shaky hand into his diaphragm. "It won't ever be okay! I spilled it all… just like that. I messed everything up."

Even though he still appeared as if he would flee at any moment, Maddie made up her mind. Before even she could process her actions, she stepped forward and pulled Danny into a gentle embrace. Not tight, not secure. It was a soft enough hug that he could break from if he felt like it.

"You haven't messed anything up. I know this is terrifying for you, but please trust me. I'm on your side, sweetie. I know… I know this isn't what you wanted to happen. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine for seeking out those flowers. Don't think that everything is going to fall apart because you said things you had no control over."

"But, I—"

"Shh…" she hushed him. "You're afraid of how we'll react to this news, to these secrets. We need time to process, but I guarantee we won't flip out. We won't hurt you. I see now that our prejudice was misplaced and I will try to make it up to you once I wrap my mind around all of this. I love you so, so much and I can't lose you, Danny."

He choked back a loud sob. "Even if I'm a ghost?"

"Of course."

"Wh—what about Dad? Dad left."

"He was overwhelmed… but I promise you he feels the same. I know your Dad better than anyone and he's not one to give up on his family just because something happened that was out of your control."

Danny pressed his face, which was wet with tears, into her shoulder. She held him in her arms as she cried, whispering assurances that everything would be alright. His tremors gradually died down and everything became clear again.

Whether he believed it or not, Maddie knew for a fact that everything was going to turn out just fine.

[greekbros]

"greek-Bros: The Return of an Old Enemy"

Chapter 3: The Hunt Begins

As the wolf attacks continue throughout Greece, Olypmus's greatest huntress is hot on the trail of the beasts. Artemis, goddess of the hunt, the moon and Apollo's twin sister, had been following a trail of destruction from the 'wolves' since her first sighting in Delos, where she witnessed a pack of these 'wolves' dragging a man into a cave alive. This behavior was not something wolves do on a normal bases. She understood these things were strong, sizable animals that have been seen mostly at night. These were definitely something worth hunting down. Her search had recently taken her to forest near Mount Parnassus on the other side of Delphi, where she has found fresh tracks.

Hours had passed and all she could find was what looked to be the foot prints of something. It looked like elongated wolf prints with human like features, a small curve of the middle food, a mild arch and the depth of the print heavily betrayes the size and weight of these creatures. "....this....this can't right?" She muttered. She walked along the trail to measure the gait, to her surprise, the prints were longer than the gait of an average wolf and closely matched a human's stride. Artemis could also notice that the tracks didn't just have the trailings of quadripetal animals, but some of the track having only landed bipedal steps. This perplexed her, there hasn't been any beast she has encountered like this, a bipedal wolf? "What are these things? Is...this someone's idea of a sick joke?" She again muttered, "these can't be natural....even so....who would go out of their way to do this to an animal?". She continued on, trekking through brush and dense forest, to find more information on these....anomalies.

Artemis felt a deep sense of dread inside of her, the more information she gathered, only worsened the feeling; the fur she found had human hair entangled with it, she counted five claws instead of four for every marked tree and she traces of tattered clothes from people who've already disappeared. Nothing about this made any sense.

She could feel a chill down her spine, could have been someone or something watching her? Grabbing her bow and unquivering an arrow, ready to lock on to whatever was triggering her senses. She readied herself, preparing for what could possibly her end, aiming at what she felt was-"~hello" Hermes appeared next her ear startling her nearly to death, making her let go of her arrow that shot out somewhere off into the distance, with a yelp following closely after.

Artemis understandably, currently wanted to strangle Hermes, thus proceeded to do so. "YOU LITTLE BASTARD I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU OR WORSE THAT ARROW WOULD HAVE RICOCHET TO SOMEWHERE ELSE DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT COULD THAT MEAN!" she angrily screamed at him while grabbing him by the collar, shaking him violently.

As he was being shooken like a rag doll, "iM sOrRy I dIdNt KnOw!" Hermes tried to apologise.

As Artemis continued to teach Hermes a valuable lesson in "Archery Range Safety", it dawned on her that she heard something make a noise. She stopped for a few seconds and looked towards where she heard the sound.

"um.... Artemis?.....ugh what's wrong?" He asked. Hermes could see the focused stare Artemis was giving.

".... Hermes....did you hear something when I shot that arrow?" Artemis asked, she slowly let him go and side stepped to the direction of the where see saw the arrow go.

Hermes kneeled there, looking at Artemis do her thing, tilting his head in curiosity, he stands up quickly to follow hoping to see a glimpse of what could she be looking at. "Ugh..." He quietly exclaimed.

"SHUSH." She replied, as she walked to a bush between two trees, her expression was that of horrified discovery. "...by the...gods." were the only words she could muster to say.

Hermes scrambles to get a closer look, he lays eyes on what Artemis was looking at, just as horrified as his sister, he couldn't believe his eyes. "...it's...ugh..it's a wolf in people's clothing?" He loudly thought. He couldn't help but stare at the sight.

The two were looking at what appeared to be an amalgamation of a man and wolf, with clawed hands and feet, wearing what looked like tattered clothes from your average man, a short tuff for a tail and with Artemis's arrow through it's mouth as if it was shot mid scream. The creature was dead, purely out of dumb unfortunate luck it seemed to have been in the arrow's direction.

Inspite of Hermes's coping mechanism of joking about the situation, she knew this must have been what Zeus was worried about...."is...this Lycaon?......you know, that story he would tell us before bed. I knew it was a real story...but....this...is.. something else" she asked. Her mind was running with questions, she was aware Zeus had only done this to one person, could he have embellished his story?

Hermes looked at her with confusion, "um...well...if it was...he'd be...I don't know...dead...don't you think?" He again joked. "I mean he's dead but it's a little overkill don't you think?", Hermes was on a roll.

Artemis glared at Hermes, unamused, "yeah...but....dad said sometimes....when gods curse people, sometimes they can out live other mortals to get more out of the curse....but....this...thing is...." she gets a closer look at examines the body, "this... whatever it is...is actually around 20 years old" she estimated.

"Wait what?" He questioned.

"...and he probably lived as a fisherman, I mean he's got some rough looking paws but I know rope burns when I see them" she continued.

"sto-stop stop stop....you can tell all THAT?" He questioned even further, not believing Artemis could guess all that.

Artemis turns to him and shows the corpse's pawish hand, showing deep scars on it's palms. "Ugh yeah duh. I can 'read' you know. Reading isn't just book smarts you know." She scoffed. "ANYWAY. We need to tell dad about this." She took the arrow from the mouth of the beast man, carefully not to cut her skin on it's teeth. "It has some nasty teeth....is that....venom?" She looked at the bloody drool, it had a mild blueish color to it. Looking at her arrow she just freed from the corpse, she felt that she need to wrap it in something to prevent anyone touching whatever toxic saliva it had.

Hermes, busy watching Artemis, didn't notice the movement of the previously deceased man-beast's foot twitching. "So, who's going to bring the dead weight to dad? Cus well...I don't want to... touch...-" he slowly became distracted at the increasing movement of the body. "HEY Artemis I think you missed a vitals spot." He shakingly warned her. The body started to growl, twitching to stimulate more movement and twist it's previously stiffened neck, eyeing the two gods ferociously.

Artemis finishing off wrapping the arrow now looks up at the reanimating creature. Steps back, puts the arrow away and gets out a new one in a matter of seconds. She shoots an arrow at it, but the creature catches it in its claws and crushes it. It coughs up a little blood and stands up to roar at the two.

"KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT! " Hermes shouted, he was so terrified at the sight he actually was in shock and didn't move, for the first time in his life, he actually felt a little bit helpless.

As fast Artemis could reload her bow, the creature dodged and avaded every arrow she shot out. Having had fun with the two, the beast fleds on all fours into the thick forest howling triumphantly, escaping two of Olympus's fastest gods. "HERMES WHAT THE HELL! Why didn't do anything!" She yelled at him only to find his shaking, "Hermes are you ok?" She asked.

Hermes, still shaking, nods his head 'yes' and does a solute. Clearly, he isn't ok, but he survived and assumingly that is all that matters. "yeah. I'm fine." He lied knowing damn well that a wolf person coming back from the dead when it should have died from what clearly a "in-mouth headshot".

Artemis decides to help Hermes and embrace him in hopes of making him feel better, or in her own consolation, to get him to stop shaking before he faints. "It's ok buddy, it wasn't that bad." Pats his back, "but I'm going to kick your ass later for not helping." She tenderly assured. "We need to find dad.... he'll know what to do.... at least I hope he know about THIS." she hissed.

End of Chapter 3