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writer-or-whatever · 2 months ago

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Training Montage

Wrote a little TAZ Amnesty piece featuring my beloved Aubrey & Duck friendship. Read under the cut or on AO3

Summary: Aubrey decides she wants to expand her skillset and asks Duck for help. Set between Season 1 and Season 2.

Rating: G | Word Count: 1.3k | Fluff & Humor

Duck opened his apartment door at 12:15—Aubrey was only 15 minutes late, which was a personal best for her—to find her holding two paper grocery bags. He didn’t manage to get a word out before she shouldered her way past him into his apartment, making a beeline for his kitchen.

“Nice to see you too, Aubrey. Why don’t you come in?” He muttered to himself as he shut the door.

“Yeah, yeah, niceties. Get in here so we can get down to business, Duck!” Aubrey called back to him. When he walked into the kitchen, she was in the process of up-ending her grocery bags onto the counter.

“What the hell could you possibly need that many frozen burritos for?”

“Training,” Aubrey said without even turning to look at him.

“Training for what?”

Aubrey turned to him with her giant stage-worthy smile and flourished her arms about. “You are looking at the future title-holder of the record for the fastest time to eat a single burrito.”

Duck just looked at her dumbly for a moment before speaking. “This is ridiculous.”

It was clear that the short minutes of Minerva’s visit last night that they’d spent coming up with a training plan for Aubrey were wasted. Which disappointed him a bit. Minerva had sounded so proud of him for ‘Taking initiative. This will aid you well on your journey, Duck Newton!’ Not that he particularly cared about that. At all. But it was a nice change of pace from her usual scolding.

“Well, it’s not like we get any recognition for the whole pine guard thing,” Aubrey said with a shrug. She quickly continued before Duck could remind her that they were supposed to keep that a secret for a reason, “Which is fine. But Mama also said I can’t do any gigs until I get my powers under control better. So, you know, gotta get a little recognition somewhere.”

“And so you chose to become the Joey Chestnut of burritos?”

“Well, his whole thing is eating a lot of things really fast, and I just want to eat one thing really fast. But yeah basically.”

“And you need me for this because…”

“Well, you’ve been training every day and I thought ‘hey, if there’s anyone who knows about discipline and determination, it’s Duck Newton,’” She said, still smiling winningly at him, though he could see little sparks from where she was fidgeting and snapping her fingers.

“And?” He asked, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

“And you have a microwave,” Aubrey admitted sheepishly.

“Well, at least you’re honest,” He said with a laugh. “Go ahead and heat one of those up and we can see what you’re working with, I guess.”

“Yes!” She said, pumping a fist. She unwrapped the first of her many vegetarian burritos while he questioned his own sanity for agreeing.

He and Minerva made a plan for Aubrey’s training and improvement, which he could probably modify for this, and he already set aside his afternoon, so he may as well go along for the ride.

Once Aubrey had her burrito (and let it cool for a few minutes—she already had enough burns, she didn’t need to add the roof of her mouth to the list), she pulled a stopwatch from one of the pockets on her vest and handed it to Duck. “Just tell me when to start, coach.”

Duck nodded. Step one: establish a baseline for performance. “Alright. Ready? Set? Go!”

The next 2 minutes and 38 seconds was one of the strangest moments in his life—he spent the time looking between her and the stopwatch and tried to ignore the sound of Aubrey chewing. He’d never be able to watch ASMR with mouth sounds again.

“2 minutes, 38.2 seconds,” He said as she swallowed her last bite. “That’s not bad? I think. What’s the record anyway?”

“31 seconds,” Aubrey burped out.

“Okay, gross. I draw the line at talking while burping. It’s just bad manners, Aubrey,” He said sternly.

“Aye, aye, captain,” she said with a salute as she stood up to make another burrito.

It was time to move on to Minerva’s Step 2: make small changes towards a goal and measure Aubrey’s progress.

“Try taking bigger bites this time,” Duck suggested when Aubrey returned with burrito number two.

“Alright. Just tell me when,” Aubrey said as she wiggled her fingers and leaned over her plate.

“Ready? Go.”

It was just as gross the second time. But Duck was starting to get invested in Aubrey’s ridiculous goal, despite himself.

“2 minutes, 29.4 seconds,” He said when she was done. “Maybe try smaller, faster bites?”

Aubrey gave a thumbs up as she headed back to the kitchen.

The third attempt clocked in at 2 minutes, 45 seconds, so clearly big bites were the way to go.

Aubrey continued to work her way through her burrito supplies and experimented with the technique. She tried varying sized bites. She tried chugging water just before she started—”For maximum lubrication, Duck.” “Gross.”—and in-between huge bites as well. After 7 burritos, her time was hovering around 1 minute and 40 seconds and she was starting to look pretty green.

“Duck?” Aubrey said as she slumped over and rested her head against the table.

“Yeah?”

“I think I’m gonna be sick.”

Duck reached down for the little trash can from his bathroom, complete with a fresh bag, which he’d gotten while she was heating up burrito number four. “Here.”

“Thanks,” She said, sitting up and clutching the small bin to her chest.

“Let’s get you to the couch to lay down,” he said gently as he took hold of her arms and helped her up and guided her to the living room. Once she was settled on her side on the couch—laying with her legs stretched over Duck’s lap so he had a place to sit in the small living room other than the floor—he switched on the TV and let Golden Girls reruns fill the silence.

After 2 and a half episodes, they were startled from their stupor by the sound of Duck’s landline ringing from the kitchen.

“Let me up,” Duck said, patting her legs gently.

Aubrey moved her legs with a groan and said, “If that’s Mama with a pine guard emergency, kindly inform her that I’ve passed on.”

“You got it,” Duck said with a laugh.

A few moments after he answered the phone, he yelled back to Aubrey, “It’s Ned. He wants to know if we want to go to dinner at the new Mexican place.”

Aubrey groaned again. “Tell him I’m never eating again! And that I hate him for even asking!” She yelled back.

Duck relayed the message to Ned, who started laughing so hard he sounded like he could barely breathe.

“You knew about her world record aspirations then, I take it,” Duck said once Ned’s guffawing eased off.

“She might have mentioned it.”

“You’re evil,” Duck said with a laugh of his own.

“Perhaps,” Ned conceded. “I also wanted to check that she’s still alive.”

“Well, she is for now, but I better get back before she decides to keel over,” Duck said before saying a quick goodbye and returning to his spot on the couch.

A few hours later, when Minerva made her nightly appearance, Aubrey had fallen asleep on top of him.

“How was training today, Duck Newton?” Minerva said quietly, clearly trying not to disturb Aubrey, which made Duck smile.

“It really took it out of her,” Duck answered with a soft laugh.

Minerva nodded her approval. “And did she acquire any new skills today?”

“Oh, I think she learned a lesson or two.”

“Very good work, Duck Newton. I will see you tomorrow,” Minerva said with a smile before she flickered out of view.

#taz amnesty #taz #aubrey little #duck newton #aubrey little & duck newton #taz amnesty fic #taz fic #the adventure zone #the adventure zone amnesty #the adventure zone fic #the adventure zone amnesty fic #James writes #100 prompt challenge

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anonduck07 · 7 months ago

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2024 Chinese GP: Recap + Results

Another one! Fair warning that it's the longest one so far, but I blame that on the 3 safety cars

P1 is Max Verstappen, who takes his first Chinese GP win, leading by about 14 seconds!

Yes the car is great, but the guy behind the wheel is also having to deliver - Crofty about Verstappen post-race

Red Bull also sets the fastest pit stop of the race, double stacking Verstappen and Perez under the full safety car and setting 1.9 and 2.0 seconds respectively.

Lando Norris is P2, his best finish since 2023 brazillian GP. He was also voted DOTD, winning just ahead of Hamilton and Alonso, who were also fan favourite picks. He was a little unhappy after he missed out on pitting under the safety car, but all ends well for him.

He [Norris] is not a happy bunny - Crofty, probably, about the missed pit stop

Woop Woop! I told you we would get past the Ferraris. - Norris, after crossing the finish line

Checo Perez places P3, yet another Red Bull double podium! There was an interesting 5 second gap from him to Norris, likely due to Norris having fresher tires. At the beginning though, he pulled some nice moves, regaining his position from Alonso within a few laps of him losing it.

P4 and 5 were the two Ferraris, Leclerc finishing in front of Sainz for the first time this season. They had a bit of a clash at the start, but nothing that the broadcast really focused on.

P6 was George Russell

P7 was Alonso, who was placed on an interesting strategy for the last several laps. He pitted for mediums, allowing him to overtake Ocon, then Hulkenberg, then Hamilton and Piastri.

P8 was Piastri who, keep in mind, has never driven at this circuit before

P9 was Hamilton, who is DOTD in my heart. He struggled with his tires at the start, being only one of four drivers on softs (everyone else on mediums, except Magnussen). He seemed to fare better after pitting for mediums, making his way to finish P9 after starting P18 :)

We also got a few moments of Nico Rosberg trying to be on some sort of wavelength with Lewis while commentating:

He's Lewis Hamilton, so yes he can…get into the points…im sure he'll move up fine - Nico Rosberg

I'm making no ground with this tyre - Lewis Hamilton That's not what we want to hear - Nico Rosberg

I can't even catch him, Mate. This car is so slow. - Lewis Hamilton That's exactly what I was going to say - Nico Rosberg (Lap 17)

P10 was Hulkenberg, yet again managing points for HAAS

P11 was Esteban Ocon

P12 was Alex Albon, who had a complaint about Ocon "moving like a ---- everywhere on the breaks." on Lap 1

P13 was Gasly, who set the slowest pit stop (19.3 sec) after an incident in the pits where a loose tire hit a mechanic when he was set to be released.

Is he okay? - Pierre Gasly All good here Pierre - Alpine

An unfortunate no-points finish for Zhou, who places P14 at his home GP, but still a very emotional day for him.

This is a dream to me as a kid, so thanks for all the Chinese fans here and back home watching TV and thank you to my team��let's keep working. - Zhou Guanyu, after he gets out of the car

Sauber, as always, had issues with their pit stops. Zhou's first one was quick compared to their previous ones, at only 3.0 seconds, but his stop under the physical safety car was the second slowest at 5.3 seconds.

He had a short fight against Sargeant and picked up some damage after contact with Magnussen near the end, losing his front wing end plate in the process, which couldn't have helped his position.

P15 was Magnussen, who always seems to be at the scene of the crime. He also picked up a 10 second penalty for infringing on the safety car.

P16 was Stroll, after picking up a 10 second penalty for causing a collision. He also had a battle for 16th with Magnussen, which was pretty interesting.

P17 was Sargeant, who was doing pretty well for the most part. Then, he stacked up a 10 second penalty for the same reason as Magnussen.

DNFS

The first yellow flag was also the first DNF of the race, caused by Bottas whose engine reportedly failed. The FIA changed the yellow flag to a virtual safety car, then a full safety car, all within a minute or two. Truly a testament to their amazing decision making skills.

The second yellow flag was caused by Yuki Tsunoda's spin out at lap 27, after contact with Kevin Magnussen that led to Tsunoda having to DNF and Magnussen going into the pits for a punctured tire.

Just minutes later, his teammate also DNFs, as Stroll collides with the back of Daniel Ricciardo's RB under the safety car. This was likely due to the fact that Ricciardo was the only one who hadn't pitted for fresh tires during the last safety car, as well as the fact that he was trying to avoid bumping Piastri, who was trying to avoid Russell, who was trying to avoid Alonso. Stroll recieved a 10 second penalty for causing a collision, but Daniel retired on lap 33 after reporting floor damage.

This idiot just slammed on the brake! Check wing damage - Lance Stroll

I've got no fucking rear on exits - Daniel Ricciardo

Before that though, his drive was going "superb" (in the words of Nico Rosberg), as he was P9 and had made a switcheroo overtake on his teammate at turn 3.

#race recap #formula 1 #chinese gp 2024 #f1 #max verstappen #red bull racing #lando norris #daniel ricciardo #kevin magnussen #zhou guanyu #sauber #fernando alonso #checo perez #nico rosberg #lewis hamilton #brocedes #lowkey

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mychlapci · 10 months ago

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More chase porn because YESSS (same anon :3)

Blades having to explain to chief burns, and (probably) dani since she’s medically trained in being an EMT so naturally she’d probably be somewhat curious, how cybertronian pregnancy works, but then both of them regret asking. Realising Chase’s need for interface is gonna get even 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 the more the sparklings grow. And it couldnt have been little then over a month before Chase starts showing- then he’s grumpy because Chief benched him for his and the sparkling’s safety.

The bunker is officially offlimits for everyone by the time its the third month. Because 9/10 times someone goes down there Chase is pinned under one of the bots, being pushed through multiple overloads and just begging for more, theres dents in a complete concrete floor from how rough they are. And even though Chief would love to not get involved he ends up worried for his partner because of how rough the three of them are with him.

Blades has to explain again that: Yes its normal for them to be rougher with a carrying mech and yes he asked for it.

Maybe they cant even get rescues done properly because all three current bots are distracted and difficult to work with, happy to do their duties at protecting the island but sire-coding tells them they shouldnt be out of Chase’s sight, So even Boulder, who’s usually as friendly as a puppy, can be a complete ass to try and work with when the other’s get to go back and see their pretty speedster before he does!

And its hard to work with stubborn bots who weigh up to a couple tons, and the aggression has to be personally handled by Optimus- who’s quite surprised to hear that the rescue bots he formerly thought we’re all a bunch of sweethearts, were piling up on eachother and putting spikes in whatever hole they can in a twisting ball of who can fuck who the fastest.

Cody sometimes visited Chase when the bots are on rescues, but that very quickly changed to that theres a temporary command centre down there, none of the family sees how stressed Chase gets when he’s without any of the bots. So usually Cody’s sat there on Chase’s shoulder or sitting on his knee-plate infront of a few set-up tv’s connected to the Cctv so he can help the team and make sure Chase isnt too worried.

One downside of this is that chase gets overprotective and 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵, Whenever he isnt getting his valve filled with transfluid and frame groped like a pleasure-bot before the war until he’s mewling and sobbing in overstimulation and sheer exhaustion, he’s making sure Cody is in his line of sight. The more logical part of him knows its silly but Cody’s so small, brain-fog mixes with creator-protocols and unless the kid needs to sleep or he’s being filled with transfluid, he’s usually insight of atleast one of the bots to settle Chase’s anxiety.

Because timing is impeccable, Chase probably comm’s one of the bots in the middle of a mission trying to explain in cybertronian that he’s going into Labour, not wanting to worry Cody. And everyone sorta just freaks when Heatwave up and abandons a nearly-finished rescue to speed back to the firehouse. He gets forgiven ofcourse but Blades and Boulder are right behind him moments later and everyone’s just stood there like…what?

He’d definitely be carrying more then one? Three sire’s and the amount of transfluid he gets stuffed in him on the daily there has to be more then one in there.

Hopefully Blades is trained enough to help without them having to hail the mainland for Ratchet to be sent over, Chase having four or five bitties before he’s absolutely exhausted and finished, And Blades makes sure he’s had enough rest before daring to let everyone down, The bonding process between carrier’s and their newborns is fragile and extremely important, and disturbing the silence can cause too much stress, orphan babies during a war would not go well.

Ooh wait, Chase’s carrier instincts going haywire and he gets super attached to Cody is a super sweet concept to me. His programming basically starts registering him not as a human child but as a sparkling, just a little glitch caused by the slowly stabilizing carrier program. It’s probably endearing to the rest of the bots and very weird to Chief Burns.

haha, at first everyone thinks that the “sparklings need transfluid and charge to develop” thing is just an excuse for them to get their hands on Chase more often, but over time it really doesn’t matter, because excuse or not, they’re not gonna stop. Heatwave is almost completely unresponsive to Kade’s authority, Blades is even more distracted and Boulder, for the first time that they know, actually starts getting mad and frustrated when asked to go on missions. Sire coding causes everyone to go a little crazy, is what i’m saying.

And bless whoever decides to come down and try to get one of them to go on a mission. The sight of Chase pinned down with his hips in the air and a spike up his valve is forever going to be carved into their brain, and the sound of Heatwave screaming at them to get out rings out in their ears for days. The bots getting competitive between each other, which is nothing unusual in cybertronian society - assuming the coding information contained in transfluid can dominate over someone else’s coding if prevalent enough, it makes sense that multiple sires would want to get as much of their coding into their carrier as possible. The fights never get too heated, never get physical, but it’s come close. Chase’s request for someone to come and just fill him up usually breaks up the fights.

hghhhh the bots dipping from a rescue mission because Chase is about to have his babies and they’ve gotta be there to help him. The rescue team is very mad at them, and once they manage to make their way home (since the bots literally left them stranded on the other side of the island) Chief Burns is more than ready to give them the chewing out of their life. That is, until he walks in on little bitlets crawling all over Chase… well, that certainly explains the urgency.

#valveplug #i need pregnant chase so much in my life #pregnancy mention #birth mention #rescue bots

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lemon-wedges · 1 year ago

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Just wanted to ask (and feel free to not answer), but how do you draw so much so quickly? I'm always impressed by how fast you doodle or paint. Also, wanted to say that I appreciate your Barok and DGS art as a whole.

and with this ask i have finally reached an artist milestone 😭

Well theres a short answer and a REALLY long answer (which ill put under cut when i get there).

short answer: practice + refs

which.....can be an annoying thing to hear. And as someone who studies art and has bought a LOT of online courses trying to figure out how industry people can just churn out work like nothing. it feels like a let down every time i find out their big secret. just practice and photo refs. Every. Single. Time.

LONG ANSWER:

its how you studying your refs. heres how i do mine

sorry if this is rambly. but ill try my best to at least be clear. BUT THIS is the EXACT way i taught myself how to be quicker.

I do not know if youve taken any art classes but essentially one of the ways to study gesture drawing is by first tracing ur photo ref to get a sense of the flow/proportions of the body. youve probably seen a billion of these tutorials floating around:

So last year around hmmmm june/july? i was NOT looking to get better at my anatomy or gesture. i was actually trying to get better at clothes. but my problem was it took me so long to draw out a figure (which i was fine with cause i liked how my people looked at the time) that i could never really just focus clothing part.

So i told myself look. ur not looking to draw in this style like this forever. so for now SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY!!!! I WANT THE BAREBONES OF A HUMAN HERE TO MAKE A MANIQUIEN FOR CLOTHES OK

but how do i do that....

Im gonna use this piece as an example from my rise and yosuke fashion palooza month. FIRST u see i got all my photo refs together. i like those poses on the right and i want to switch out the clothes for the other ones i picked out. i trace out my poses. kind of like the tutorial up top but since this is about draping i was focused the exact places their waist/arms/legs/etc would bend.

and like the tutorial u turn off the photo ref and do a drawing based off that traced piece.

then i would turn on my refs and add on my clothes

And after a month of just doing that over and over and over. i was surprised to find that figures and poses were so much easier to understand when i would break them down like this. and once u get familiar with them the faster and more confidently you'll draw them.

I and still do this btw. heres my otasune from the last week

i used photo refs for all my sketches. if i cant find anything online to match what i want i just take photos of myself. and some might say well arent u just relying on reference TOO much?

AND AGAIN take it from someone who has spend a lot of money buying classes from their fav artists in the industry. The Secret of how they churn out so much cool work so fast always turns out to be this. practice and photo refs.

Every. Single. Time.(tho this is omitting a lot. im not getting into like they way they stylize their art work. that actually the fastest and funnest thing to do once u have ur base down)

Now PAINTING

The thing is, i dont actually post up all my work on this blog. So theres a ton of stuff you havent seen me do. These are some paintings i did 2 years ago for a class.

I already know how to pick my values and set up lighting. When you see me painting my figures now. i am not focused on learning these basics im actually just honing a technique.

you might see me post readmores with these kinds of wips. I lay in all my colors and lighting with the lasso tool. ALL THE MAJOR DECSIONS ARE DONE HERE

(the little miniature i add on the side basically tells me what the overall feeling is going to be when i blend in the lineart to be cohesive with my colors) ( also if you had any questions on my prepainting process tho. feel free to ask!!!)

and if you compare this wip to my finished piece youll actually find that i dont stray that far from what i've laid in.

everything happening at THIS stage is about feeling out how i want the textures to blend with one another and getting funky with some brush strokes.

and thats it? im not sure if any of this is helpful but if anything. i hope you come away from this feeling like what ive been doing here is nothing special. "THATS IT???? THATS ALL THERE IS??? well i could have done that :T"

exactly man. you can do ALL OF THIS aND MORE!!! I BELIEVE IN U :D

but ill let this be the last thing i leave u with my friend: my barok sketch and the refs i used for his boobies

#asks #ITS A LONG BOI #art advice #?

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askagamedev · 1 year ago

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Hi, I'd like to ask something about dlcs. I apologize in advance if this turns out to be a stupid question but I really have no idea about how game industry works. So... do software houses usually decide the plot of the dlcs together with the main game (or at least before the main game is released on the market) or they tend to wait for the audience's feedback and then start planning accordingly? Like, when the game is out, a certain character ends up being very popular in the fandom. So... will they decide to focus the dlc on this popular character in order to give ppl what they want or they're still gonna stick to their original plans? In a few words, could fandom popularity influence the plot of future content of a game?

Generally speaking, the ease of making changes to the game, its narrative/characters/content is inversely proportional to how close that content is to release. The closer the patch/DLC/update is to release, the more locked-down and set-in-stone it is. This is because these kind of changes will often affect other systems, narratives, characters, systems, etc. and that kind of propagation through the system gets more expensive the more changes need to be made later on. I'll use my current project as my example.

My current project is getting close to launch. We already have the first several seasons of content for this game scheduled - we plan on adding several significant boss fights and content updates over the course of the next year. The first new boss scheduled to go live in the first post-launch update is the closest to being done. That boss already has all of its mechanics locked down, all of the art done, all of the voice over recorded, all of the features designed, and so on. At this point, we're just tuning the fight because it's so close to release that we don't want to risk breaking anything. No matter what the community reception is for this particular character in the narrative, they're getting this fight because we've already locked in those plans months before launch and it's too late to change them now.

The further into the future we go, however, the more malleable things become. A good rule of thumb is to assume we on the dev team are working two or three patches ahead of whatever you're currently seeing in game. Content patches are often quarterly releases, which means that the thing I am working on today probably won't be seen by players for at least 3-6 months down the line. If supporting character Neelo turns into a huge fan favorite, we can pivot to add more content to feature Neelo - and sometimes we do! However, even if Neelo becomes super popular right at launch, that likely means the fastest we will be able to add more Neelo to the content updates (if we didn't plan to do so before) is in around six months post-launch. The patches before that are already in the process of being locked down and getting ready for certification and launch, it's too late to change them.

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#the business of video games #continued development #content updates #how things work

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emeliejeannie · 1 year ago

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I've been inspired by another post I saw earlier this week to think about how the Miraculous might affect their holders. so here I go! I apologies for any misinformation about a certain animal here, I just found some info online. so there's only a few things in here with each animal...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ladybug holders are extra sensitive to the cold, and can get sleepy.

Since Ladybug's are the most well liked bug (probably), humans are naturally drawn to them. this explains why so many people suddenly started to develop crushes on Marinette.

Cat holders have night vision and improved hearing.

Cat holders tend to be night owls.

Cat holders have the ability to purr in and out of costume.

Cat holders get affected by catnip.

Cat holder's nails grow faster and a little thicker than normal.

Ladybug (creation) holders get along well with the living while Cat (destruction) holders get along better with the dead. what I mean by that is, terminally ill people, for example, feel at peace in the presence of cat holders. while animals, nature and children alike feel at peace with Ladybug holders and thrive in their presence.

Bee holders are also sensitive to cold temperatures.

Bee holders have a heightened sense of smell and taste.

Female bee holders start craving jelly.

Pollinator holders (Bee, Ladybug etc) are drawn to plants.

Bug holders get along with bugs better than others.

Pig holders sweat less.

Pig holders have a tendency to be talkative.

Pig holders have better memory than most.

Tiger holders are one of the fastest miraculi.

Tiger holders have an increase in appetite.

Goat holders get cravings for salads.

Mouse holders produce more vitamin C.

Mouse holders like to walk by walls when they can.

Fox holders have improved hearing.

Fox holders can sense the magnetic field of the earth.

Turtle holders are drawn to light.

Turtle holders might become "slow" they process things slower than before, and sometimes respond later than usual.

Snake holders can hiss (???) like snakes.

Horse holders have fast reflexes.

Horse holders rarely vomit.

Horse holders produce more saliva than the average human.

Monkey holders like to "groom" their loved ones. they play with their hair, or pick at loose hairs on their clothes or lint. they're just generally touchy.

Dog holders tend to follow their loved ones blindly. they become very affectionate and are sometimes blinded by their love for others.

Dog holders tend to get excited easily.

dog holders tend to "look out for their pack" they always check if everyone is present in group settings, and protect their loved ones when vulnerable.

Rooster holders tend to be early birds.

Rooster holders like order in their daily lives and in their relationships.

Ox holders tend to be quiet and reserved.

Ox holders tend to be comforting and reliable people.

Rabbit holders are usually very expressive with their face and body language.

Rabbit holders, like cat holders, have the ability to purr.

Peacock holders are drawn to bright colors.

Peacock holders hate being alone.

Some Peacock holders can become aggressive if worked up.

Dragon holders have a tendency to hoard.

Butterfly holders tend to drink a lot. doesn't have to be water, as long as it's liquid.

Butterfly holders have trouble regulating their body temperature.

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #the miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #mlb #miraculous headcanon

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m34gs · 9 months ago

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Saw AU Ask Time!

From designing/creating a trap all the way to implementing the trap on their victim, how long on average does it take each dorm to fully complete their assignment?

Please list this in order of least amount time to longest amount of time because it will spice up the order of your answers.

Oooooh what a fun ask! Thank you! (for anyone curious about the Saw AU my friend is referring to: please see this pinned post about our Twisted Wonderland Saw AU)

I am eager to take a break from my busy weekend and relax by thinking about Saw and Twisted Wonderland; two of my favourite things!! :D I will be talking about the absolute fastest timeline each dorm can make; keep in mind that certain circumstances may cause them to expedite certain processes and that the average trap time may be slower if the need is less urgent! :)

(Also, my friend, please don't panic if you think the timelines don't match your fics. I promise, they do! I have plans to make the murders fit into your stories!!)

Diasomnia - they take the least amount of time because Fae rules. Investigating the victim is a cinch for them and their Fae Powers. Parts are easy to obtain for the Heir of Briar Valley, and Lilia's vast network of connections makes finding locations a simple task. The one hang-up is when they're setting up the traps; in order to make sure it's not entirely inescapable by human standards but still presents a challenge and test, Silver is often the one who ends up putting his strength against various trap parts. While it's all supervised and done in a safe environment, Lilia tries to delay it Every. Single. Time. Still, they manage to get through it in a relatively timely manner. Honestly, when reading White Lilies (Kimium's fic about Yuu and Malleus, with a hint of murder in the background), there wasn't a specific timeline, but I imagined the festival was about 1-2 weeks away due to how Malleus said it was fast approaching. Seeing as he only just met Roy (my name for the man as Kimium left him unnamed and granted me the joy of naming him in my companion fic: Rebirth) on that day with Yuu, that would put the entire operation from start to finish within that 1-2 weeks. Honestly, I was thinking closer to 7-10 days. Of course, that's if they are working nonstop to make it happen, but I believe they would because to Malleus nothing trumps Yuu's safety.

Ignihyde - Idia and Ortho are next! And it's very honestly all because of how tech-savvy they are. Idia Shroud doesn't even need your name to start. He hacks the security cameras at the front of shops and tracks your movements, sees where you go, hacks security systems. And once he does have your name? Game over. He's got your social insurance number, your phone number, your address, and a digital copy of your birth records before the day is up. He sets up a virus that you can't even detect, hacks your computer, and uses an algorithm to analyze your online activity, and on a second monitor he's going through your bank information for patterns to see when the best time is to kidnap you. He knows the names of all your contacts and their banking info and schedules within hours. He knows exactly when he could snatch you and how long he would have before anyone noticed you were gone. And with all his tech and the tech for STYX and the fact that it has to be produced somewhere...you can bet your ass he can get access to an abandoned warehouse. The longest part is actually assembling the trap, because, as we've established, Idia doesn't just want a trap. He wants to challenge himself to see what he can do. He's pushing his limits and learning and growing (which like, yes we love to see growth but not with murder Idia!!! lol) and that takes time. But he'd have it done within the month. Guaranteed. So I'm gonna say Idia is typically 2-4 weeks (probably also depends on if he needs a rare part for his trap and needs to wait on account of shipping).

Heartslaybul - okay, I know, I know. You might be thinking "but Meags...Riddle has all these rules and technicalities and he would probably want to make sure everything was exactly right. He would never slap something together half-heartedly, and he also places a ton of restrictions on himself and has an intense perfectionism that would make him take things even slower". And you would be right! Except we also must consider that this is Riddle we are talking about. (insert tour guide voice, for funsies) If I may direct your attention to the Housewarden Trap Designs ask, we can recall that Riddle is one to go for the more simplistic traps. I also think he is one to always be Prepared. He has trap designs ready to be used ahead of time that can be easily tweaked as needed. He may not have them all built, but the design is there. The majority of time is spent on 1. researching the victim because unlike Idia and Malleus, Heartslaybul has to resort to good old in-person tailing and stalking, and 2. assembling the trap. While Deuce may be really good with his hands and mechanical work, he and Ace together spell DISASTER and I imagine there's more than one mishap that occurs...Taking all this into account, I'm thinking 6-8 weeks from start to finish is the fastest timeline for them.

Savanaclaw - To be honest, I don't think there's much difference between Heartslaybul's timeline and Savanaclaw's. Though they have less people, Savanaclaw has both Jack and Ruggie, who are pretty much doubly more efficient than Ace and Deuce (sorry but it's true). Especially if Leona promises Ruggie a bonus (or some fun in the bedroom). Leona, being a prince, has a lot of resources at his disposal. Plus, they have a lot of connections. Let's be real, Leona has his political connections to work with, but we all know Ruggie has connections in every corner of the city. And they run a casino. That's like, dipping into mafia territory. They probably have some sort of handle in the underground as well. And Leona's very smart. He would be the one to "work smarter, not harder", so I think he'd find a way to keep the traps relatively simple (also mentioned in the Housewarden Trap Design ask) so it couldn't take up a lot of his time. So I think Savanaclaw would also be 6-8 weeks.

Pomefiore - Vil, Rook, and Epel are next. While efficient, they do have one thing that kind of limits them: spare time. Vil is so busy with all his auditions, his roles, photoshoots, guest appearances on various talk-shows, etc. He can only devote so much time to the traps. Yes, he has Epel and Rook to help, but we must not forget: There's no way in hell Rook is going to spend time tailing some asshole when he could be watching his boyfriend on the runway. Much as everyone likes to think Rook would just do whatever Vil asks, the truth is that Rook is the only one on the team in Book Five who voted against their own dance team. Rook is, first and foremost, true to his own heart. And his heart wants to see Vil's beauty in every possible moment. And Seven knows Vil cannot leave all the work to Epel. Perish the thought. Also, they must set aside time to visit Yuu and Grim. It is imperative. Because of this, Pomefiore is looking at upward of 8 weeks; probably closer to 9 or 10 weeks, for their fastest trap runtime.

Scarabia - I honestly don't think it's a surprise they're this low on the list. Kalim, for one, would hesitate to kidnap and put someone in a trap, as we've established. Jamil, on the other hand, would spend so much time trying to account for every detail that his planning phase takes *forever*. FOREVER. Jamil. Please. You're killing me. Anyway; once he gets through that planning part, putting the actual trap into motion is easy, but yeah. It's the planning stages that trip up this dorm and cause them to take longer. And Kalim's big heart. He just really doesn't want people to die. I think more than once he has a heart-to-heart with John, and John reminds him that by putting people in the trap he is helping them (at least, in John's twisted point of view) and that makes Kalim feel a little bit better. He might need a pep talk or two to get through the planning though. Three months.

Octavinelle - ok, ok, let's be real. Who else? Who else but Azul? Honestly, that boy. Ok, so we all know Azul is a perfectionist to rival Riddle, but he is also almost as busy as Vil (especially in this au, where we have him not only running a chain of Monstro Lounges, but also doing consults on the side). Yes, he does have an ever-growing list of people to trap, but he has to make sure it is the *right* time for all of them, and he has to make sure everything goes without a hitch. In fact, the only reason it doesn't take him even longer than it already does is because he has Jade and Floyd. He can 1. outsources (some) work to them, and 2. they push him to stop fussing over details and just do something (I imagine if it comes to this, Floyd makes some sort of fuss; like a cat shoving a cup off the counter if they don't get enough attention). That being said; I think Azul also spends a whole lotta time in the planning stages, much like Jamil. Things are likely a lot faster once he has all the pieces ready to be put together (Probably partly because he gets Jade and Floyd to help more with this part). Three to four months. For his fastest traps. And this is only once he's actually decided on a victim(s) that is/are approved by John. Jigsaw help me.

Alrighty! There you have it, friend! My rankings from fastest to slowest, with an estimate on how long it takes each dorm to do the entire trap process!

(I also need you to know I currently have 10 tabs open on my computer to answer this ask...lol)

#twisted wonderland #sort of saw franchise au #saw au #NRC dorms #headcanons #thank you for the ask

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anders-hawke · 1 year ago

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Rewriting Season Eight

My coffee from earlier has yet to wear off so I decided to line up all the season eight fics that I’ve written so far in some semblance of chronological order based on when they’re set. My love/hate relationship with this season’s jumping out! You can find all of these fics on my blog under their titles here but I won’t be linking them onto my blog because I change my URL somewhat frequently. Probably best to just use the AO3 links on this post to get to the fics the fastest!

Left Behind (302 words) — “Requiem” If he were here, he’d embrace her from behind and wrap his arm around her, hand splayed on her abdomen.

Presumed Dead (261) — General Early S8 She’s read Doggett’s report three times already, but she can’t remember anything from it in detail. She’s stuck on a particular phrase: presumed dead.

Seven Weeks (455 words) — General Early S8 I don’t even know why I’m writing this. I’d rather tell you in person, but it’s all eating me up alive and I need to get it out.

Nightmares (390 words) — “Deadalive” “How?” Scully asks tearfully. “It’s our baby, Mom. Every little thing will remind me of him.”

Two Miracles (315 words) — “Deadalive” Scully watches him process the words and sees the exact moment that Mulder lights up.

Anybody Miss Me? (864 words) — “Deadalive” And Scully knows he’s expecting her to chuckle through the tears but she can’t hold it in anymore—all the grief and fear and stress clawing their way out. “Yes,” she sobs, burying her face in his chest. She swears she hears him give a breathy, “Oh,” as her tears soak into his hospital gown. “We missed you so much.”

A Piece of You and Me (403 words) — “Three Words” A piece of you is inside me and I’m wearing your coat. A piece of you is inside me and you’re going to be a father. A piece of you is inside me against all the odds, Mulder. A piece of you is inside me and I need you to love me.

Confront (1242 words) — “Vienen” “We need to talk,” she says over the phone, and normally he’d sigh and lie with a strained, I’m listening, but running off to take over Doggett’s investigation on an oil rig wasn’t nearly as thrilling or putting-his-life-back-together-ing as he’d expected.

Reacquaintance (1157 words) - General Late S8 “Mulder...” he heard Scully murmur, her ass against his cock as she wiggled back so she was pressed against him, shoulders to feet.

The Physics of Waddling, Colds, and Pizza (1493 words) — “Empedocles” Scully didn’t walk anymore, she waddled, and it was absolutely adorable.

Blossom (1628 words) — “Empedocles” They haven’t seen each other naked since the night before they left for Bellefleur. He’s seen glimpses here and there, when Scully will lift up her shirt to moisturize or when she accepted his help when she came home from the single autopsy she was tapped to do before her hospital stint.

Liminal Spaces (822 words) — General Late S8 They’re in that liminal space between actually having the baby and the baby still developing.

Decipher (680 words) — General Late S8 “I was settling in nicely, but it all feels a bit fake—a bit surreal.”

Domesticated (284 words) — General Late S8 She giggles (oh, her giggle) and resumes her lint rolling.

The Nuances of Breakfast and Shopping (818 words) — General Late S8 Scully gasps and appears around the corner of the aisle at the same time as Mulder does from the other side. “Look!” She holds up a little onesie depicting an alien spaceship abducting a cow. “It’s so cute!” She lets her arms fall, revealing her dazzling smile.

Home (385 words) — General Late S8 They’re unpacking Mulder’s boxes of knickknacks when the phone rings, disrupting their banter.

To Build a Crib (232 words) — General Late S8 Scully sighs. “Not this again.”

Baby Shower (804 words) — “Essence” At some point, Scully ended up between Mulder’s legs, opening her gifts with his arms wrapped around her abdomen.

“Help Them” (1691 words) — “Existence” “Scully,” he says, arms half wrapped around her and their baby, who’s pink and wailing—healthy in the lungs and very human, he sees. He smiles for a brief moment but it flies off his face when she doesn’t respond.

#txf #fanfiction #mine #long post #late s8 fic

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goodpointsandbadpoints · 29 days ago

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doing this bc @thetentaclecommander did it and it looks interesting.

When did you start writing?

I started journalling when I was seven because I loved the Junie B. Jones books, so I mimicked the diary-style genre to write about my own daily activities. When I was eleven, I got really obsessed with book publishing and novels as a concept, so that's when I wrote my first official story that followed a basic plot rise and fall. It is not good, but it was the beginning.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I LOVE mysteries, but I don't have the skillset to write them. Same for thrillers! I also like stories with extensive lore over a long period of time, but I don't know if my brain is made to build complicated worlds.

As for themes in my reading, I think I usually love things focusing on trust, acceptance, and survival. Yum. I probably end up writing about those a lot as well...

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

(I think I have always done this, as shown by my imitation of Junie B. Jones.)

To me, it's about writing style and atmosphere. I love a delicious writing style.

I think I generally want to emulate good flow; I want the writing itself to be enjoyable, regardless of what the story is. I am fascinated by the styles of Andrzej Sapkowski (I know it's translated and there's a whole discussion about that, but still), Cormac McCarthy, Donna Tartt, and Tove Jansson (also translated). I am also heavily influenced by poets, including Mary Oliver, Morgan Harper Nichols, and Carl Sandburg.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I'll write anywhere as long as I have my laptop, my phone, or a notebook and a good pen. I've written in cars, the bath, my bed, the backyard, the break room during my lunch, etc. As long as I can get into a good posture, I'm set.

I also like to have music going in the background in some way. I'll either play my usual rock playlists, or find one of my soundtrack mixes.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Probably either by listening to music that makes me feel strong emotions, going through a life experience that I need to process, or being in nature! Another rarer occurrence is to think of an odd character concept (e.g. my OC Tulie, a tulip who turned into a boy) and build off of that.

I also like to read other authors' books to inspire myself. It's one of the fastest ways to get myself into a writing mood.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

I don't know. I tend to be more of a vague theme-writer because I love establishing atmosphere more than anything else.

I'm still learning how to analyze stories for themes. Dare I say that trust, loneliness, and survival are common ones in my stuff? Somebody tell me.

What is your reason for writing?

Writing is my most reliable form of communication. To process, to share, to expand. I have to.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

People can think whatever they want, I suppose. I want people to feel something in the fibers of my pieces, how I was enjoying every moment of putting them together. And to be completely barefaced about it, I want people to think my pieces are done well, at least for my experience level.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

What do I feel...

I'm not sure! Maybe immersion? Also, I'd like to think I build tension well, though it might be only tension that feels right to me. I love being picky about how authors build tension and emotion.

How do you feel about your own writing?

Depends on the day. I like my most recent pieces and frown at the ones from +3 months ago, but sometimes I'm in a mood where it feels like nothing I've written has ever been what I wanted (edit: it doesn't help that poor self-esteem is mine enemy). I'm constantly finding things I want to emulate or improve.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

I don't think I can write unless I'm fully invested in the story, so it has to be at least 80% for myself. I DO think about what makes a story good in general. What would make this feel more tense? Would people care about this character? That kind of thing. But generally, I have the most fun, fluid process when I write for myself.

I'm tagging my writing buddies! Hop on board, if you so desire.

@samblerambles @silvercap @fonulyn @colesabi @resident-rats

@welcome-leon @geddy-leesbian and @thebrandywine

And anyone else who wants to join! 🩵 I'm so curious to see peoples' writing origins and reasons for writing!

#tag game

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elizabethemerald · 2 years ago

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DPxDC Family Reunion

AO3

First Prev

“Now, Master Daniel, you may not know me well, but I assure you that complaining will buy you no favors from me.” Alfred said with his usual even tone as he helped Danny rise from the medical bed in the Batcave. “Dr. Thompkins and I feel that you are healed enough to be able to continue your recovery in one of the bedrooms upstairs.”

“Huh, I already have a bedroom waiting for me? Am I setting some kind record for fastest turnaround from meeting to adoption?” Danny snarked back. “And you can call me just Danny.”

“I’m afraid, Master Danny, that the current record holder for that title is Master Jason. Master Bruce caught him stealing tires from the Batmobile, then Master Jason hit him with a tire iron. I believe there was intent to adopt from first sight.”

Danny snorted, then grimaced a hand pressing to his chest. His body still hurt from what his parents did to him, but fortunately with the care, food and protection of the Batfamily he was healing as quickly as he could. The realization that Bruce Wayne was Batman that had come the other day was still processing through Danny’s mind. It would have to wait for full processing behind a long queue made of his parent’s crimes. He would have to schedule that freak out for a later date.

“Well then, should I start calling you Master Alfred?” Danny asked with a twisted smile as he leaned on the butler’s shoulder.

“I assure you, Alfred is sufficient.” He and Danny had managed to get to the base of the stairs up from the cave to the manor above. Danny took a deep breath and gave a shaky stare at the steep steps. “We can of course take the elevator if you prefer, Master Danny.”

Danny nodded and the two of them entered the elevator. He gave a small sigh of relief that Alfred generously didn’t comment on. He might be healed enough that he no longer needed the IV and monitoring equipment of the Batcave Medbay but he still wasn’t anywhere close to 100% yet. The elevator dinged and the two of them excited the hidden panel in Bruce’s office. As they entered the richly decorated office, Danny felt something tug at his core. He rubbed his chest and ignored it, his senses were still all messed up from what he went through.

“Unfortunately for the flying fury brigade, I’m probably still not going to use my powers much for Hero work. I need to keep a low profile.” Danny joked, feeling another tug at his core. Alfred was leading him to one of the sitting rooms of the manor and he swore he could hear talking coming from the room. “I don’t want to bring any more of my problems here to Gotham-”

“Danny?”

His head shot up to the now open door of the sitting room and standing there was a sight for sore eyes. His sister, Jazz, was standing in the doorway, Tucker and Sam leaning around her body to get a better look.

“Jazz?” He could barely whisper the word as his knees gave out.

His sister ran to him, only pausing at a hand motion from Alfred. She fell to her knees in front of him and gently wrapped him in a hug. He observed several things even if he couldn’t process them as his sister’s arms wrapped around him. Her hair, raggedly chopped short. The dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. The bandages visible on her arms past the sleeves of her sweater and dotting her face. Her arms around him. He was safe. His sister was here. She would never let anything hurt him. He held her as tightly as he dared while his core purred in relief. Tucker and Sam joined the hug on either side of him. Tears were racing down his cheeks and he could hear and feel the others sobbing around him.

Eventually their tears subsided enough that they could return to the sitting room. None of them seemed fully willing to actually let the others go so the Amity Parkers stayed in one large clump as they made their way to the largest couch. Jazz helped Danny sit down, then immediately took one side. She grabbed his hand tightly, pressing their entwined fingers to her cheeks. Sam quickly took Danny’s other side and also grabbed his hand. Tucker hesitated, unsure where he wanted to sit, but knowing he wanted to stay close to Danny. Then Sam pulled him down so he was sitting on her lap and they could all still be close. Danny appreciated them all staying so close and he nuzzled his head against Tucker’s shoulder and squeezed both Jazz and Sam’s hands, his core purring away.

“Are you-?” Danny looked at Jazz then turned to Sam and Tucker. “Were you-?”

He couldn’t seem to form full sentences as his brain finally picked up on the things he had seen earlier. Jazz’s injuries and exhaustion. Tucker’s lips were split from chewing on them and Sam’s hair was greasy and her make up was days old. He hadn’t seen his friends this bad since the last time Vlad tried to attack, and he had never seen Jazz in her current state.

“I’m sure we all could do with a debrief on exactly what has been happening.”

Danny whipped his head up at Bruce’s words. He finally noticed that they weren’t alone in the sitting room. Bruce sat in an elegant looking armchair, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair and his fingers steepled in front of him. Damian stood with his arms crossed next to the chair with Dick perched on the back of Bruce’s chair, his arm draped casually over Damian’s shoulders. Duke was sitting with Jason and Steph on the other couch. Cass was sitting on Stephanie’s lap, her feet resting on Jason’s thighs. Tim was leaning on the back of that couch, his fingers tapping out small patterns on Stephanie’s head and shoulders. Barbara sat in her wheelchair next to the couch and Alfred stood with his usual impeccable posture against the back wall.

Danny blanched and quickly whipped his head back and forth between the Waynes and his friends. How much should he tell his friends? How much should he tell the Bats? They couldn’t know he was a ghost, could they? He had only been introduced to the full Bat family the previous day and now he had to try and keep their secret from the people he cared about most in the world? Jazz, of course, amazing Jazz, took command of the situation when his panic became evident.

“We already know about the Waynes’... extracurricular activities.” Jazz said softly, only really addressing this to Danny as everyone else seemed to be aware. “Orphan and Spoiler let us know their identities and we concluded the identities of the rest of the family.”

As Jazz finished, Danny could see the Waynes reacting. It was clear most of them were… not thrilled with their secret being outed. Damian looked furious and was glaring at Stephanie who glared back with equal measure before sticking her tongue out at him. Bruce had a glower to his eye even though the rest of his face remained impassive. Dick and Jason shared a wince and a grimace. Barbara was one of the best at keeping her emotions off her face, but it was still clear that she was in the middle of the pack in her opinion. Tim looked a little proud that Jazz was able to figure out everyone else’s identity so quickly. Cass clearly considered her choice to unmask herself to be completely justified and Duke shot Danny a small smile, meta to meta adjacent. Jazz took another breath to continue.

“I also accidentally revealed that you were a part-ghost.”

Her voice was quiet and her eyes flicked away from his, ashamed that she had shared his long fought secret. As his hands were still occupied he gave her a reassuring squeeze then leaned his whole body against hers, even moving his legs to be more in contact with her. He let out a few quiet chirps and whistles to make sure she knew he didn’t care. Across the room Jason almost fell off the couch in surprise at the sound. Cass gripped tightly onto Steph as he tried to fling her feet off of him. Then she stabbed a foot into his side and glared at him to keep him sitting.

“Yes, but we don’t know what that means exactly.” Bruce said, and Danny could see his “Batman - World’s Greatest Detective” side showing through in his tone. There was a mystery before him and he wanted to unravel it. “Why don’t we start from the beginning of this ghost business and see if we can’t get some more answers.”

“Before we get to that, which one of you is Oracle?” Tucker asked excitedly.

A few of the Bats glanced not so subtly at Barbara who shot them all an annoyed look. Tucker immediately tried to jump to his feet, practically vibrating with happiness, but he was restrained by Jazz and Sam. They pulled him back down onto Sam’s lap, almost pulling him over onto Danny.

“We can play twenty questions with the bats and meet our favorite heroes later.” Jazz carefully did not glance at any of the heroes when she said that, though she did turn to give Bruce a stern look. “However there will eventually be an equal exchange of information. Once we’ve resolved the current crisis I expect all of us to be fully caught up. I don’t want any of us getting hurt because of lack of information.”

Bruce grunted and a wave of appreciative or considering looks swept over the Bats at Jazz’s bold as brass declaration. She ignored them all to turn to Danny.

“This is your show, your secret. I think you should start at the beginning, but what you tell is up to you.” Her words were soft, again only for Danny. He thought for a moment before he nodded. He glanced at Sam and Tucker then back to her.

“You guys speak up if I forget anything or get off track ok?” They nodded, Sam now resting her head on his shoulder. Danny looked up, drawing in the bats with his look. “This might seem like an obvious statement now, but ghosts are real.”

A series of snorts echoed around the room at his incredible power of understatement. He gave a wry grin before he continued.

“For the longest time my parents were certain that ghosts exist, but they didn’t have any proof. They had theories and papers they wrote about ectoplasm and ecto-based entities, but they didn’t have any actual ghosts to confirm those theories. They were laughed out of every serious scientific community for their wild assumptions about beings that the rest of the world didn’t even think were anything more than children’s stories.”

Danny hesitated a moment, wondering if the lack of outside input and support compounded to form the echo chamber of Jack and Maddie’s “research.” Jazz picked up the story while he sorted his thoughts again.

“They were obsessed. For much of our childhood it was all they could focus on. Our birthdays were forgotten, I learned how to work the microwave at six so I could feed Danny, Danny learned first aid before he entered middle school so he could treat the injuries Jack and Maddie wouldn’t notice. Even Tucker and Sam had to grow up fast so they could help us, we wouldn’t have made it this far without their support.”

Danny’s friends looked surprised to be called out at this part of the story. They knew they had helped Team Phantom deal with threats to Amity Park and the world at large, but they hadn’t realized how much their assistance had meant to the Fentons even prior to the portal.

“Their obsession was dangerous even then.” Danny said, his eyes flashing green. “They moved us to Amity Park because they said it was a hotbed for ectoplasmic activity. They were able to filter pure ectoplasm out of the air. Then they would store their samples near our food in the fridge, or leave bottles of it open in the living room, or wake us up at all hours to drag us down to their basement lab to see the latest barely functional OSHA violation they had created.”

“Even the shower was heated by an ecto-heater.” Jazz said with an eye roll. “We were all contaminated with ectoplasm before they had even started working on the portal. They just never saw that it was their own fault.”

She had practically growled the last words. Danny could feel her hurt and rage coming off her in waves. He could even feel her trying to suppress her emotions so he couldn’t sense them. With them as close as they were, physically and emotionally, there was no way she could hide her feelings.

“Then they made the portal.” Danny’s agitation made the words come out past gritted teeth. He hated this part of the story. Sam and Tucker shifted so they were even closer, Tucker somehow half on his lap, half on Sam’s. “It was supposed to be their Magnum Opus. A portal into the Ghost zone, they would finally have the proof they needed for so long. They spent months down in the lab, we hardly saw them. Jazz and I were pretty self-reliant by that time so it didn’t change much. They dragged us down there to watch them turn it on for the first time. It didn’t work.”

Danny’s throat closed around any further words. He couldn’t say what he needed to. Fortunately Jazz picked up some of the slack.

“I was hopeful that with this pipe dream finally circling the drain, Jack and Maddie would pull their heads out of their rears and actually be parents for Danny and I again.” Jazz said, her voice heavy with disdain and self-recrimination. As if it was her fault for ever giving their parents the benefit of the doubt. “I convinced them to leave town for a few days, maybe with some distance they would see what it was they were doing to us with their obsession.”

“I convinced Danny to show us the portal.” Tucker said, his voice also tight. “I practically begged him to take us down to the lab so we could see it.”

When his voice failed him too Sam spoke next.

“I wanted a picture of Danny in the portal. It just stood there, a doorway to another world. How could I pass up the opportunity?” Her voice cracked, raw grief in her tone.

Danny felt like he was drowning. Jazz’s regret and Tucker’s grief and Sam’s shame flooded his mind from every direction. His own maddening emotions filled in any space left over. They all blamed themselves for the accident. If Jazz hadn’t convinced Jack and Maddie to leave the portal wouldn’t have been left unguarded. If Tucker hadn’t wanted to see the portal they wouldn’t have gone down to the basement at all. If Sam didn’t want a picture of the portal he wouldn’t have gone inside it. If he hadn’t tripped and activated the portal, nothing of what happened after would have happened.

“It’s not your fault.” Bruce’s voice cuts through the waves of emotions.

“If I didn’t-”

“You can’t know-”

“You weren’t-”

“Yes, it-”

The Amity Parkers all start to talk over each other, each immediately assuming he was solely addressing them, and each rushing to tell him how wrong he was. Barbara leans forward from her chair as she speaks once they all fall silent.

“It’s not your fault.” She states with far too much assuredness. “Your parents were criminally neglectful. Their lab safety was practically nonexistent. I’ve been perusing the files you pulled from their computer. They had no idea how harmful ectoplasm was to you. A million horrible coincidences came together and resulted in a tragedy. It was not your fault, none of you.”

They were quiet, each with their own thoughts on the matter. Dick was the next one to speak up from his spot sprawled across the back of Bruce’s chair.

“Can you honestly say that nothing else those two did would have tried next wouldn’t have resulted in a similar or possibly worse disaster? Your lives were in danger every second you were in that house. If it wasn’t this it would have been something else.”

Dick’s voice was calm, controlled despite how he was unsettling Danny’s whole world. However another wave of grief crashed over him as Jazz burst into tears. She jumped to feet, still holding Danny’s hand as she glared at Dick.

“You don’t understand! I was supposed to protect him!” She shouted. Her words echoed over each other a little as her eyes flashed green.

“I do understand.” Dick glanced at Jason. “I’m probably the only person in this room who understands exactly what it’s like to have to protect a younger sibling from things they never should have to face. I also know what it's like to fail in that call.”

Jazz sagged at his words as if all the fight left her. Danny freed his hand from Sam’s to guide his sister back to the couch before retaking her hand. Jazz shuddered as sobs shook her shoulders. Her free hand was pressed to her face to quiet her crying. Bruce cleared his throat and Danny looked up to catch his eye. His gaze was hard, determined, yet filled with compassion.

“I know it may take more time to come to terms with everything that happened, everything that you’ve been through, but we’ll keep working on it, keep reminding you. It was not your fault.” His words were as hard as his eyes. The message seemed to be one he himself had heard often, even if he hadn’t fully taken it to heart himself, one he had often repeated with this same passion and fire. Over his shoulder Danny could see Alfred giving Bruce a small, proud smile. “Now, take a moment to gather yourself, then continue.”

Danny took a deep breath. “I went into the portal.” His voice sounded hoarse in his own ears. “There was a wire on the ground.” He could feel it. Feel the electricity coursing through his body. “I tripped.” He was panting, desperately trying to get enough air. His muscles seized as a phantom charge raced through his body. “I… I… I-” He could feel Sam and Jazz wincing as he put too much pressure on their hands. He couldn’t make himself let go. He was dying. He was dying. The portal was opening in him and through him and he was dying and being remade over and over and over and over and over and over and over and-

Sudden hands on his face shocked him almost as much as the memory of the accident had. He looked in the brilliantly glowing green eyes of Jason Todd from where he knelt in front of the couch Danny was sitting on. Jason kept his hands pressed to Danny’s cheeks, forcing them to maintain eye contact. Danny could see a reflection in Jason’s eyes. Like recognizes like. Dead recognizes dead. Undead recognizes Undead.

Jason gave a warble of a chirp, the noise sounding like it was physically painful for him to make, yet it still battered down the panic in Danny’s mind. He chirped back and Jason gave another broken sounding chirp. Danny understood now. Jason was liminal, probably even more than Jazz was.

“I know it’s hard to talk about.” Jason said softly, but the others in the room could clearly still hear him. “You died?” Danny nodded. A wave of tension swept the room as the Bats collectively leaned forward, almost unconsciously, protective energy radiating off of all of them. “You came back different?” Danny nodded again. Different was an understatement. “You don’t have to go into more detail. I understand. We understand.”

Danny nodded a final time. Jason rose to his feet and rapidly glanced around at his family, his cheeks tinging red. Most of them gave him proud smiles, while a few had angry glares, not at him but at the whole conversation. Stephanie had a shit eating grin that promised she would be bringing up how soft Jason was for Danny later. He quickly returned to his seat with Cass immediately returning her feet to their place on his lap. Everyone in the room took a few more breaths to decompress before Danny hesitantly continued.

“Are we not going to talk about the chirping?” Tim raised his hand to ask, interrupting before Danny could start talking. Several of the bats shot glares at him and Damian scoffed loudly.

“Later.” Jazz dismissed with a wave of her hand. “We have more important things to talk about. Go ahead Danny.”

She gave Danny a nod and a smile and nervously continued.

“A-after…” He swallowed nervously. Jazz leaned on him and Jason sent him a supportive nod. ��After the portal was open, ghosts started pouring through. I was the only one who could stop them from causing problems or hurting someone.”

“Why were you the one who had to protect your city?” Bruce asked, his gaze piercing.

Danny sighed and stood up, untangling himself from his friends and sister. Thanks to Alfred’s well cooked meals and his natural ectoplasm generation he was healing very quickly, and had enough power to complete his transformation, but this was still going to hurt. He allowed the rings of light to emerge from his torso, and separate to cover his body. When the light show faded he revealed himself as Phantom.

He watched the surrounding Waynes reacting. The more stoic, like Bruce and Barbara leaned forward a bit, but otherwise held their reactions to a minimum. Most of the current and previous Robins reacted with obvious interest and curiosity though Damian tried to play it off. Jason looked stunned, his mouth hanging open and his eyes glowing green. Duke had his hands over his eyes, the shadows in the room flying to further shade his eyes. Danny winced, he hadn’t meant to hurt the meta with his transformation.

“This is what it means to be a half ghost.” Danny said. Despite Sam and Jazz still holding onto his hands he floated a little above the couch, occasionally drifting through it. “I’m alive, but not. Dead, but not. The other ghosts call me a halfa, there aren’t very many of us around. This is why I’m the one who had to protect everyone in Amity. I could fight the ghosts that came through the portal.”

Danny, with the help of Jazz, Tucker and Sam gave a brief history of their history with ghosts. The Bats didn’t need to know about every encounter so they just gave them the broad strokes. By mutual, silent agreement none of them mentioned Danielle, Vlad or Pariah Dark. Danny didn’t want the Bats to know he was technically the Ghost King or that there was other halfas around. He was still terrified of what Vlad would do if Danny revealed him. The various Bats asked a few clarifying questions, but mostly just listened. Tim had a computer in his hands and was rapidly typing as they spoke.

Eventually they got to the matter of the other ghost hunters. Tension slowly filled the room as Danny hesitantly talked about the problem caused by the ghost hunters. How they treated ghosts as if they weren’t sentient. He tried to skate over what his parents had said and done, but Jazz, her eyes glowing green and her canines stretching into fangs, wouldn't let him.

“When ghosts became real, Jack and Maddie thought they had struck gold.” She growled the words as she spoke. “They were always terrible scientists, they wouldn’t believe any evidence that didn’t support their biases, but they were, unfortunately, good engineers. The weapons and traps they made worked. Ever since the accident, Danny was never safe in his own home.” Her words started to layer over each other as her rage built. Danny tried to comfort her, but he knew she needed to say her piece.

“They did everything they could to catch the ghosts. Especially Phantom. They blamed him for everything that happened. Danny would have to sit at the breakfast table and listen to them talk about how they wanted to tear Phantom apart molecule by molecule. Then they finally got a lucky shot on him. They took him to the lab under the house. They cut open my BROTHER!”

Her last words were a shriek that trailed off into a heart broken wail. The lights flickered and one of the bulbs shattered as almost everyone else had to cover their ears. It wasn’t a full ghostly wail, if it was the Waynes would have to buy a new mansion, but it was still powerful and painful. Duke again had to cover his eyes from the light show the ectoplasm in Jazz’s body was putting off.

When Jazz tapered off to pained sobs, the Waynes relaxed again, though grief and rage were clear on their faces. Danny held Jazz tight as she cried. He relayed what happened next in a mechanical, toneless voice.

“They were certain they had finally caught the ghost who had caused so many problems for them. They thought Phantom had killed their son. So they fulfilled their promise. They tore me apart.” Jazz’s crying grew to another wail as he said that, though this one didn’t cause any power surges. “Eventually, Sam, Tucker and Jazz were able to distract my parents. We had just enough time to break free of the restraints. I left with the clothes on my back, the carving on my chest barely stapled closed and raced for Gotham. We knew Gotham was also a city with a lot of ambient ectoplasm so I knew I would be safe there. I don’t really know what happened in Amity after I left.”

“Well, Sam and I booked it to her place.” Tucker said, explaining to the Bats and to Danny. “Her mom and dad paid a tonne for a bunch of security and we basically bunkered down until Spoiler and Orphan found us.”

“Yeah, we were waiting for Jazz so we could head to Gotham to meet back up with you Danny, but she got… delayed.” Sam said, suddenly awkward.

Danny looked between his friends and his sister, easily picking up on their tension.

“What happened?”

Jazz looked away, subconsciously pulling the sleeves of her jumper down over her hands to hide the bandages there. Tucker and Sam shifted against him, each trying to avoid making eye contact. The rest of the Bats also seemed uncomfortable about something. The temperature around them plummeted, until everyone's breath could be seen.

“Jazz, what happened?” Danny asked, the words cracking out of him like breaking ice.

Cass spun on Stephanie’s lap until she was facing Jazz head on. She signed to Jazz, her face calm and compassionate. Danny couldn’t understand sign language perfectly, but there were ghosts who couldn’t speak so he had learned some signs along with his sister and Sam.

“Tell me what? Jazz. Tucker, Sam. What do you need to tell me?” He asked again, far more forcibly now.

Jazz sighed and put her head in her hands. Then she pushed the sleeves of her jumper all the way up past her elbows. Danny could see multiple bandages from her fingertips to her arms. There were bruises from needles on the inside of her elbows. These were injuries he recognized. He had many of the same bruises and cuts from his first week under his parent’s tender care.

“They hurt you?” He whispered hoarsely.

“Well they thought you were a ghost who had killed their son.” Jazz said. “They thought I was possessed. That’s the only reason I would want to help a ghost right? And when they took samples and saw I was contaminated with ectoplasm, well, they drew their own conclusions. Then they kept taking samples, and being none too gentle while they did so. Anything to get the ghost to leave me. After all, why would a ghost stick around in a damaged host?”

Jazz gave him a sardonic smile, which rapidly fell from her face as she looked at him.

“They hurt you?” Danny asked again, the words screeching together like fine china in a tumble dryer. “They HURT YOU!”

Danny felt himself grow as ectoplasm poured off of him. The entire room shuddered and quaked as ice spread out from his body. He knew his body was becoming more and more inhuman. Massive. Covered in tentacles and frozen armor. Vast stars and galaxies appeared and were consumed by too many mouths as too many eyes opened and glared. Portals to the ghost zone tore open around him and a shaking scream was building up in him. The desire to rend and tear, to fight and break, to protect filled him like a rising tide. His sister had been hurt and he would protect her. Protect her. Protect. Protect. PROTECT. PROTECT!

A blinding flash drew a scream of pain from him and he shrank down to almost normal size and appearance as he tried to cover his eyes. Another knocked him flat on his back, somehow still making it through his fingers and closed eyelids to blind him further.

“Daniel, your family is safe here in the manor.” A stern voice said. He could barely tell that it belonged to Bruce though it sounded more like his Batman voice through the pain in his eyes and head. “They are safe. You are safe. You can protect them best by protecting them here.”

Danny shook his head to clear the lingering starbursts from his vision. He looked up at Bruce, his eyes wide. Jazz was hugging an entire arm to her body as she held him as tightly as she could with Tucker and Sam holding his other arm and rubbing his back respectively. The other bats stood around the room in a variety of defensive postures, except for Duke who had his hand outstretched and a small sparkle of light floating above his hand.

He let his body become a little more inhuman, shifting into a longer and almost serpent like form. He ignored the Bats tensing as he curled around Jazz and his friends. He held all three of them as tightly as he could. He smiled up at the Waynes and they relaxed. Duke leaned forward, looking a little sheepish.

“Sorry about hitting you with that flashbang, it seemed the best way to break your focus.” He said. Danny gave him a wry grin.

“Hey it worked, so I can’t complain.” Danny said.

Jazz tried to pull herself out from Danny’s coiling hug fruitlessly for a few seconds before giving up and addressing Bruce and the rest of the room from within the hug.

“Mr. Wayne, I hope I’m not too forward in asking if you wouldn’t mind hosting Danny, Sam and Tucker for a little while.” Jazz said. “I have some savings so I can pay for their care until we can get our current crisis settled and I’m able to get a job and can get a place for all of us to stay. A stable home life is important for them.”

Bruce gave her a small smile as he extended a hand to her. Danny reluctantly released her from his hug and allowed a pair of glowing rings to return him to appearing fully human. Sam and Tucker still kept a light hold of him even as they stepped back to give him a little room. Bruce gestured to the entire room when he spoke next.

“I’m sure I speak for my entire family in saying all four of you are welcome to stay in Wayne Manor for as long as you wish, forever if you like. And there will be no more discussion of repayment. I can afford a few more mouths to feed. After all, a stable home life is important for you as well. So what do you say, would you like to call our home yours?”

“Yes, I think we would.” Danny declared from behind Jazz, and she hesitantly nodded as well.

Behind Bruce’s back the rest of the Waynes seemed pretty happy they were staying. Alfred departed immediately to finish getting their rooms ready. Damian rolled his eyes, but he had a small smile on his face. Jason and Duke looked happy they were staying, though they both looked curious as well. Danny was certain they had questions about his abilities that he would have to get to eventually. Dick, Steph and Tim chattered happily about different things, showing them how to perform on a trapeze, adding them to the family group chat, and getting them added to the Manor’s security respectively. Barbara just sat there with a happy smile on her face as she talked to Jazz. Danny met Cass’s eyes and she gave him a thousand watt smile and signed two words he recognized. “Little Brother.” It was good to be home.

Kofi Link!

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