#valerie stride

[nippoisalien]

Please play Beastieball!!

Do it for Sports King 😂👑✨️

[beastieballin]

suddenly i have this au where everyone involved in the league got turned into a Beastie... (or maybe they always were and it's a different AU?) details tbd i just wanted to design the coaches as beasties lol

[artseniccatnip]

i love a woman with problems <333

[wybienova]

beastieball ANIMATIC !!!

we've got a week left to beastieball and i made a little animatic about valerie !!!!!!!!! go watch it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[megabeasts]

countdown to beastieball: day 2!!!!!!!!!

[songwings]

a lil bday gift for @artseniccatnip!!! she's just chillin

[paybackraid]

An Ice Cream and Fudge Kind of Chat

Summary: Jack might be a little confused, but he's got the spirit. In more ways than one. Or, Jack so aggressively supports Danny as a trans boy that he gives him the wrong sex talk. Mentioned grayghost

Rating: T

Words: 1994

Trigger warnings: none

---------

Danny walked into the kitchen to see his dad scooping copious amounts of ice cream into two bowls. A tray of fudge sat between them. Danny knew what was about to happen deep in his bones. His body went stiff and his insides felt cold, even for him.

Uh oh.

“Danny boy!” Jack cheered happily. He tossed the ice cream into the freezer and took a seat in front of one of the bowls. 

“…Awkward father-son chat?” Danny guessed, hoping against hope that wasn’t it.

Jack gave him a warm smile, softer. “Awkward father-son chat. Come sit.” He patted the empty chair beside him.

“…Do I have to?” Danny asked.

Jack didn’t verbally answer, merely patted the seat again. Danny got the picture.

With a heavy, nervous sigh, Danny moved forward. He adjusted his binder carefully, since it was pinching his underarm. He needed a new one, a bigger one. He’d grown. That comfortable, Danny dropped into the empty chair and picked up a piece of fudge. Peanut butter bacon. Delicious.

“So… what’s going on…?” Danny asked. Half of him hoped that Jack had forgotten all about Phantom and was about to confront him about it. That father-son chat—not the first one they’d had and obviously not the last—had gone almost remarkably well. It had ended with his dad scooping him in his arms and squeezing him so tight he thought he was going to break every rib. Danny had come out as half-dead and Phantom late last year, and it had gone so well that Danny was basically ready to do it again.  Better that than… whatever Jack had put together.

What else was left? The gay talk had come first, until Danny realized that it wasn’t the liking of the same gender that had been the problem rather than not being that gender, actually. Mom and Dad had handled both of them so well, even when Danny switched it up not three months later. There had been no you’re faking it, no you need to stop changing things on us. They’d taken each in stride. Next had come the bi talk when Danny realized that yes, boys were hot too, thank you. Dad had organized the next one, when he thought Danny had a girlfriend. When Danny almost did. Two years later and he finally had that girlfriend. And Valerie was a fucking treat. Finally came the whole half-ghost, being-Phantom awkward chat that had come up last year. That had gone well, obviously. Since Danny was still (half)alive, free, and very well.

If all those awkward father-son chats had been had, what was left? 

“It sounds like things are getting serious with you and Valerie,” Jack started, voice still warm. “I hope you’re not secretly spending the night at her house when you say you’re at Sam’s or Tucker’s.”

He had. Exactly once. To be fair, they had a project to work on, and there was a ghost fight and he’d come back so tired afterward. There’d been some kissing, some snuggling, but Danny had retreated to the couch like a right gentleman when the time came.

…Oh, wait.

Oh, no.

Danny was sure he wasn’t prepared for this sort of awkward father-son chat.

“I want you to know,” Jack continued. “Your mom and I really like this Valerie. She keeps you in line. Both of you.” Jack winked.

Danny winced. That was one way to put it. Him being a ghost and his girlfriend being a ghost hunter certainly did put a level of keep-in-line-liness into their relationship from both ends.

“And I’m glad you’ve gotten so comfortable with her, and with both of your halves. I’d be happy to see her over here more often. She’s someone I can blather on about ghosts to!”

He had. So many times. Valerie took it in stride. She really was an incredible girl.

“Okay…” Danny urged, face flushing red. He hoped Jack got to the point so this chat could be over. 

“Eat your ice cream before it melts,” Jack encouraged. He took a bite of his own and then snatched a piece of fudge. “All that being said, I expect responsibility from you.”

“Responsibility?” Danny didn’t think there were many kids his age more responsible than him, actually! Danny fought ghosts daily! He’d had the weight of the world on his shoulders since fourteen. He didn’t think there were many more responsibilities to have!

“Now,” Jack continued. “You are nearly an adult, and your mom and I can’t monitor you all the time. That wouldn’t be fair to you or to us. I would rather that you got up to the more adult things under our roof, where we know you’re safe and can help you handle whatever repercussions arise. So.” Jack reached for the seat beside him and grabbed two things. A banana and a… a… 

A condom?

Danny’s blush left completely. He was so pale his face felt like everice, staring at the horrible combination of items right there in front of him, grim horror and amusement dancing across his face hand in hand. Granted, his dad didn’t know that Valerie wasn’t a trans girl or otherwise, but… 

“I understand they’re teaching this in schools now,” Jack said, setting the banana between them, “and that’s great, but I want to know that you know how to use this anyway. If the two of you start having…” Jack practically gulped aloud, his face coloring, “if you start having sex, I expect you to use condoms every time, and I expect the two of you to have a conversation before and after. Fenton men are gentlemen.”

Danny smiled blearily. His dad was so fucking goofy, and maybe that was something Danny loved about him. “We drink respect women juice every day,” Danny agreed with a nod. It was an old joke, but a good one.

“What?”

He laughed. “Nevermind.”

“Right,” Jack said, plowing forward. “So show me you know how to use this.”

“Dad, me and Val really won’t need to use th—“

“Enough of your teenage invincibility,” Jack said. “You don’t know what could happen. Show me you know how to use this.”

Danny’s face went back to red, but he was struggling to hide his smile. It was embarrassing for sure, but if Danny understood exactly what was going on, it was nice. 

Knowing he wouldn’t get out of this, and kind of really loving his dad in the moment, Danny reached over and opened the condom. He rolled it over the banana like they’d shown in health class then set it over by Jack to inspect. Jack approved but asked suspiciously if they’d already started; Danny seemed pretty smiley for something like this.

Danny flat out denied it. There’d been some… under the clothes stuff, but nothing like that. 

“Good, that’s good,” Jack said, leaning back. His ice cream was mostly gone, but he was starting to stack fudge in his bowl. “But Danny, even condoms only work ninety-nine percent of the time. So when you do start having sex, you need to be prepared for… possibilities.”

“Dad, I really don’t think the possibilities you’re thinking of—“

“Danny,” Jack interrupted. “I expect responsibility from you. That doesn’t mean that Mom and I won’t help you out, of course not. But if you get that girl pregnant, you will be sticking around for it, whatever Valerie decides to do with it.”

And there it was. Pregnant.

Danny was not physically capable of getting anyone pregnant. He didn’t have the equipment, and he wasn’t sure that was a surgery he’d ever want to have, anyway. Dad knew that. Jack had taken Danny to pick up his first pads and tampons—they’d gotten so many sizes, it had not been handled as gracefully as Mom had handled Jazz’s. Hell, Jack had sat with Danny at the doctor’s office when they’d said words like puberty blockers and hormone replacement and address mental health first. Was Jack being goofy? He couldn’t entirely tell. Jack seemed far too serious to be playing some weird long con of a prank. It was too serious a topic for Jack to do that for, he hoped. 

“Danny-boy,” Jack said firmly, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Do you understand me? You will support that girl if and until she aborts it, but if she decides to keep it, I expect you to be a present father, too. Am I clear? No skipping town because of it. Mom and I will help you.”

Jack was serious.

He was so, so serious, and Danny realized that he really, really, really loved his dad. 

Danny might try to get the real sex talk out of his mom, later on. The one he needed with his body. But he could sit here and be embarrassed while his dad plainly and actively forgot that Danny used to be his daughter, so long ago. 

“Yeah, Dad,” Danny said with a laugh and a smile. “I hear you. If something somehow happens, then I’ll be responsible with it. You can count on me.”

Jack’s smile was warm again, and so, so proud. Danny’s heart felt light in his ribcage, like it might turn intangible and phase right out of him. “I know that, Danny-boy. We can always count on you.”

The rest of the chat was, if a little awkward yet, smooth. Jack forgot three more times that Danny didn’t have the same stuff to do much with the talk, but Danny was kind of okay with it. By the time Jack seemed satisfied with the conversation, Danny’s grin split his face right down the middle even if he was red as a tomato. 

“And if you’ve got anything else you want-or-need to know about, you come right to your old man,” Jack was saying while Danny cleared their dishes from the table. “I’d rather you safe and embarrassed than sorry down the road.”

Another smile that Danny buried in his shoulder. “Yeah, okay,” he said, turning back to his dad. Jack was standing and stretching his back, muttering something about sitting for too long. “I will.”

“Good,” Jack huffed. He reached out and ruffled Danny’s hair. “See that you do. Got any questions for me right away?”

“No!” As much as Danny loved his dad—and he did, so much—there was only so much embarrassment he could handle before he had to close that particular spigot. “Thanks for the talk though, Dad. Thanks for caring.” Caring in more ways than one. Caring about Danny’s identity so much that he forced out of his brain any impression of Danny not being the man he was. 

“Of course, Danny-boy,” Jack chirped. “I love you.”

“Yeah,” Danny agreed. He approached his dad and put his arms around his neck, squeezing him as tight as Jack would—and did. Although he was careful to avoid that poor, abused banana. “Yeah, I really, really love you, too.”

Jack released him after a moment and ruffled his hair again. With a farewell, Jack headed down the stairs to the basement—probably to tell Maddie just how well that talk had gone. Hopefully Maddie would correct him and fix his mistake later, but wouldn’t be upset. 

Danny decided to do the same, although upstairs to his sister and then to his room. Jazz laughed goodnaturedly and gave him a hug, but luckily didn’t make any promises about giving him the sex talk he was supposed to have. Danny flopped back onto his bed and quickly called up a conference call with Sam and Tucker, excitedly telling them about the horrible, wonderful conversation he’d just had. 

Valerie would come later, he thought. Probably after he’d had the talk with his mother. So Valerie wouldn’t have any thoughts that couldn’t go anywhere yet. She would find it funny, probably—she was as supportive as his family and friends—but he didn’t want to disappoint her. Not about that, anyway.

[vreedomoo]

🏐❤️️ Beastieball Valentine Poll 🏐❤️

users of tumblr, lovers of beastieball, with the day of valentines being upon us an important question must be asked.

credit for all the valentine's art goes to ccezra.bluesky.social

[shares-a-vest]

Steve looks up from his magazine, one of Keith’s many car subscriptions that he is gifted as leftovers, to find Dustin not not looking straight at him and fiddling with the same copy of Hello! Dolly he had picked up a solid ten minutes ago.

He is fairly certain he knows Dustin’s movie preferences. And they don’t include Barbara Streisand’s matchmaking through song and big hats.

Dustin turns away, revealing a backpack that now sports a gigantic Hellfire patch sewn onto the front pocket, courtesy of Robin and Eddie’s joint sewing endeavours.

“Henderson!” Steve calls, frowning.

Nothing. The kid might as well be twiddling his goddamn thumbs as he chances a glance over he shoulder, very obviously hearing him.

Steve snaps the magazine shut and rounds the counter to the musical section. But Dustin scampers away, setting a steady pace as he comically power walks down the split horror-comedy aisle in order to double back to the front of the store.

“Hey! What the hell, man?” Steve says, taking a few strides to get ahead of the kid so Dustin is blocked right between him and the front candy display, “What the hell is up with you?”

He probably sounds more accusatory than curious, judging by Dustin’s wide and panicked eyes. The boy shrugs and looks away.

Yeah, Dustin not talking and not blabbering away about anything, let alone whatever it is that’s up? Fucking weird.

Steve looks him over, examining his young friend’s movements as he shuffles on the spot and periodically scuffs his sneakers on the sun-faded green carpet.

“Um, uhhh...” Dustin hums after a long pause.

Still strangely incomprehensible for him – but it’s something, at least.

“What is it?” he asks, voice low as he searches for a shred of eye contact.

“Do you, I dunno... maybe...” Dustin trails off, gesturing in the air as a pair of nervous eyebrows disappear up under the Cubs cap Steve gifted him for Christmas 1984.

Not that Dustin cares about the Cubs – then or now.

Dustin slips his hands under his backpack straps and rocks on the spot as he continues prattling on.

“Do you wanna hang out on Sunday? I mean, if you don’t have a date or anything.”

The kid sticks out his bottom lip and rolls his eyes, not at all appearing as casual as he seems to want to be.

“Sure,” Steve shrugs, confused.

Jesus Christ, since when is this kid all nervous about hanging out?

“Steve,” Dustin sighs deeply, pinching his nose (good, back to his bratty, if a little exasperated, self), “Sunday is Father's Day.”

“Oh.”

He must have passed by the greeting card display at Melvad’s, over and over during every lunch break as he headed in for a can of soda and whatever non Family Video-sponsored candy Keith was craving.

It’s not like he had any reason to remember. His folks haven’t been home since the ‘earthquake’ and they almost never call. Hell, he has enough of a time conversing at any length when his mother does call, let alone asking her to put his father on the phone.

Not that he wants to talk to his non-college attending, barely-high school graduate son who works minimum wage retail and has no girlfriend, anyway.

Not that all of that matters much when Dustin is looking back at him with a rare sadness in his eyes.

“I mean, your dad isn’t home – obviously,” Dustin starts, though not quite as harsh as his usual barbs, “And Will spends the day with Hop now. Eddie and Wayne go fishing. And I would be going to visit my grandpa but he and Nanna went on a cruise. I think they went – ”

“Sure, buddy,” he blurts out, offering a pat on the shoulder to make up for inadvertently cutting the kid off. He pauses and frowns, “But what about your mom?”

Dustin shrugs, “She wants to have a girl’s day with Valerie.”

Ah, yes. Valerie Richardson, Claudia Henderson’s best friend and Hawkins’ biggest town gossip courtesy of her job as the receptionist at the doctor’s office. Steve can’t help but laugh – Valerie really knows her stuff.

“I’m assuming their girl’s day will involve a charcuterie board and wine?”

“Charcuterie,” Dustin mutters, beyond displeased at the thought of dips, fruit and water crackers – a far cry from his mother’s prized lasagne.

“Alright,” Steve announces, rubbing his hands together, “We’d better pick out some movies. I’m thinking we hit the arcade, then have a movie marathon over the cheesiest of pizzas...”

Dustin grins.

[theroyalthornoliachronicles]

La Flamme de Minuit Victorious at Prix de Thornolile

In a heart-stopping display of skill and speed, La Flamme de Minuit emerged triumphant in a gripping race during the highly anticipated Prix de Thornolie. The race, which unfolded over a five-furlong distance, captivated spectators and showcased a fierce battle between its top contenders, La Flamme de Minuit and Griffon Rouge.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Thornolia's vibrant l'Hippodrome Épitoise de Thornolie, the event drew a crowd of enthusiastic onlookers, including Thornolia's esteemed famille royale. Monseigneur l'Épin, a distinguished figure in the equestrian world alongside his father, graced the occasion and presented the victorious horse with the inaugural Coupe de l'Épine d'Or, a trophy specially crafted for this prestigious race in celebration of its inclusion in Thornolia's first ever Saison.

La Flamme de Minuit, a majestic equine with a fiery spirit, proved its mettle under the expert guidance of trainer Francois Delacroix and the skilled jockey, Pierre Leblanc. The horse's exceptional speed, agility, and determination captivated the audience, who eagerly anticipated a thrilling showdown between the top contenders.

As the race commenced, the thundering hooves of La Flamme de Minuit and Griffon Rouge echoed across the racecourse, creating an rousing atmosphere. The two horses showcased their remarkable athleticism and unwavering spirit, engaging in a neck-and-neck battle that left spectators on the edge of their seats.

The five-furlong race unfolded with breathtaking intensity, as La Flamme de Minuit and Griffon Rouge pushed each other to their limits. The crowd roared with excitement as the horses charged towards the finish line, their determination and skill evident with every stride, but it was La Flamme de Minuit who surged forward around the last corner, galloping across the finish line and securing victory. Griffon Rouge, displaying remarkable tenacity, finished a close second, leaving spectators in awe of the fierce competition between these equine powerhouses.

Adding an extra layer of prestige to the occasion, Monseigneur l'Épin presented La Flamme de Minuit and Pierre Lablanc with the first-ever Coupe de l'Épine d'Or. The Monseigneur also looked to be in extremely high spirits, leaving many to wonder if more thrilling news is on the horizon. This magnificent trophy will forever serve as a testament to the horse's remarkable achievement, as well as an enduring symbol of Thornolia's rich equestrian heritage.

As the sun set and the crowds dispersed, the echoes of this thrilling five-furlong race lingered in the air. La Flamme de Minuit's remarkable victory in the Coupe de l'Épine d'Or will be remembered as a shining moment in Thornolia's racing history—an exemplification of the unwavering spirit and indomitable strength of these magnificent creatures.

And let us not forget our Monseigneur's endeavours to find a wife during this inaugural saison. With the upcoming bal masqué in honour of his upcoming birthday in mere days, many wonder if he will soon be making an announcement. Though should we? He's been far too indecisive, and it may be a bit hard to believe he's made any sort of decision, though we believe it safe to say that it does appear to be between Mademoiselle Aubert and Mademoiselle Valery. Today's event left many questioning the Monseigneur's motives once more, but we suppose only time will tell.

Previous | Beginning | Next

[daily-kichik]

253. Bouquet

Featuring rank #1 coach Valerie Stride and ranked coach Kaz.

[sexymonstersupercreep]

The Movie Gallery - favorite film posters

.... Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) .... Striding into the Wind (2020) .... Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971) .... The Bloodstained Shadow (1978) .... La Belle et la Bete (1946) .... Denyat na Vladetelite (186) .... Evolution (2015) .... The Depths (1963) .... The Night of the Strangler (1972) .... Without Name (2016) .... Serpent's Path (1998) .... Bride of Re-Animator (1990) ....

[beastieballin]

She was a bright eyed student at the academy once

[artseniccatnip]

here's how audrey redheart isekai can still win-

[bloodpen-to-paper]

Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse Trailer Thoughts

Can I just start this post off by saying that I am totally normal? Over this movie? Perfectly reasonable in my level of hype and mentally well in every way? Mhm, trust me. Anyway, onto the blurbs!

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

-Seems Miles is at his teenage rebellion stage

-Miles' teacher telling him he's not doing too well in Spanish in front of his Puerto Rican mother is an ouch (in that it's hilarious, but not for him. Sorry Miles)

-Seems there's gonna be a rift between Miles and his parents now that he's Spider-Man full time and very much keeping it secret from them; maybe this movie is where they find out?

-Across the Spider Verse seems to also have a core theme of Miles going against the grain and doing things his way, forging his own individual path for how he wants to do Spider-Man. Looking forward to seeing a more grown up Miles that is able to go further into his self-exploration now that he's reaching older teen/young adulthood.

-I think Gwen and Miles might get together this movie which... eh. Alright. No hate to the ship, but the first movie felt very platonic save for Miles liking her cause she's a pretty girl, and rip to cishet society but that ain't enough to sell me on a relationship. Maybe they'll get some development in this movie? Until possibly that I'm just gonna enjoy them as friends personally

-Apparently Oscar Isaac voices Miguel... Doctor Strange was not kidding when he said the multiverse got screwed in NWH

-Here we have Jessica Drew, Marvel's first (continuous) Spider-Woman! She looks awesome, and based on how often she appeared in the trailer, I'm assuming she will play a key role.

-I also suspect she will help push the narrative around ATSV's theme of parenthood, with Miles having issues with his own, and Peter becoming a father.

-Regarding the race change for Jessica, I earlier referred to her as the first "continuous" Spider-Woman, because she was the first woman to notably don the spidey title. However, the first official Spider-Woman was actually a one-off character named Valerie the Librarian. Originally, Valerie had no powers; she instead went around as a non-super helping Peter Parker's Spidey in any way she could. Spider Verse has always been by black people for black people, so it doesn't surprise me that they (allegedly) are honing back to Valerie, a black woman and the first official Spider-Woman, to base Jessica's appearance on. Goes to show the creators did their homework, which I'm pleased to see.

She is so beautiful ma'am please take my hand in marriage; also, she's pregnant! She is literally hero-ing while pregnant, which I've realized is not something we really see like... ever. Granted, because its dangerous, but Spider Verse has always made strides to give more diverse female representation, and a pregnant spidey mirroring pregnant working women seems to be next on their list. Happy to see it!

-We got Miguel O'Hara! Admittedly I'm not the most familiar with him, but one doesn't traverse Marvel comic fandom without having heard of this guy. Based on what I'm seeing in the trailer, he looks like a very fun character and I'm excited to know more

-"Don't even get me started on Doctor Strange and the little nerd back on Earth-199999." I am... so normal about the acknowledgment of the MCU in Spiderverse. The multiverse really is converging, which on a meta sense is something I absolutely love so I am very excited to see where the Marvel universe heads.

-Also people have been saying Feige stated the MCU was Earth-616 and Spider Verse went against that, which they're happy about, so if someone could fill me in on what happens in Earth-616 I'd appreciate it!

Peter's back! And he has a spider baby! From what I've seen this is Mayday Parker, daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, and she does indeed get her father's spider abilities in the comics. Perhaps we'll see more of her in the future?...👀

Stab me, it would hurt less.

(Looks like Gwen's backstory is being explored more, which is a hooray moment, but its exploring her trauma, which is less hooray.)

And of course... the meme, made multiversal. (Is that fucking PS5 Spiderman)

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

That's about it, very excited for this movie, also afraid, but mostly excited! See y'all when it drops!

[emberdew]

Be More Ghost Chapter 12: Loser Freak Whatever

Summary:

A Be More Chill AU where Danny gets a Super Quantum Intel Unit Processor (or Squip) to help him become cool and win over Valerie, but things don't really go as planned.

Masterpost | AO3 Link | Word Count: 1,795

If Valerie likes me in the end will I be able to pretend I didn’t fail my two best friends?

Valerie, Valerie, Valerie. 

Danny looked at the Squip, who was standing so close he could see the slight glow of its eyes through its sunglasses. It had continued to explain the plan to get Valerie to date him for so long that Danny had lost track of time. The Squip’s words blended into a drone and Danny only picked up the parts where it said Valerie’s name.

He liked Valerie’s name.

Are you even listening? Squip-Phantom took a step back and shot him a stern look. 

“Sorry, I think I just need a minute to… Process…” Danny rubbed his temples. He saw the Squip’s spectral tail flickering back and forth with impatience. “Alone. Can you get out of my head for like, five minutes?”

Of course. The Squip nodded and then vanished. 

Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Tucker just a few feet away. How hadn’t he noticed him before?

“Tucker?”

Tucker turned his head towards Danny, eyes wide. Then he frowned and started walking away. Danny took a few large strides to catch up.

“Oh Ancients, I’m so glad to see you!” Danny’s smile faltered when he saw his friend’s angry expression.

“Really? So you haven’t been avoiding me all day?”

“What are you talking about?” Danny’s eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember the last time he had seen Tucker. He certainly hadn’t seen him at school today. “I haven’t seen you since-”

Wait, Danny hadn’t seen Tucker since he’d gotten the Squip! Could the Squip have done something? 

“Reactivate,” Danny only jumped a little this time as the Squip popped into existence right next to him. 

It’s called Optic Nerve Blocking. 

“Why haven’t I seen Tucker all day?” Danny paused after he asked as he processed what the Squip had just said. “Wait, what?”

I have access to your optic nerves. I have been blocking Tucker from your field of vision, the Squip explained this as if it was a completely normal thing to do. 

“Danny? Why are you standing there all creepy and stuff? Or well, creepier than normal for a half-ghost. Is there a ghost I can’t see?” Tucker started looking around as if that would help him spot an invisible ghost.

Tucker is a link to Danny 1.0. Squip-Phantom pointed to Tucker, then turned to Danny with a serious expression. To upgrade, you need to be willing to make sacrifices. 

Danny 1.0? Was that what he was now? Danny considered the Squip’s words, but he was stuck on his designation. Surely he was at least on version 1.5 after the portal accident, right? His ponderings were interrupted when Tucker waved his hand in front of Danny’s face.

“Seriously, what’s up with you? You’ve been acting shady ever since…” Tucker tilted his head as he put the pieces together. “It worked, didn’t it? Danny, that’s amazing! We gotta test it, we gotta celebrate, we gotta- get stoned in my basement!” Tucker pumped his fist in the air.

Danny couldn’t reply. He needed more time to think about this! Was the Squip really saying there was no other choice but to abandon Tucker? His gut said that he couldn’t do that, couldn’t just cut his best friend out of his life. It was unthinkable!

Before Danny could think of anything to say, he gasped and felt a bit relieved when the blue mist of his ghost sense gave him an easy way out.

“Gotta run, Tuck.” Danny dashed away before Tucker could make any kind of response. 

Danny clambered around a corner, ducked into the nearest storage closet, and transformed into Phantom as quickly as he could. He heard a scream and shot down the hall towards the sound. When he saw a giant glowing ghost bug attacking a student, he didn’t slow down as he slammed his body against the ghost.  

After crashing against the wall of lockers, the ghost morphed into a familiar blob and started mocking him as Phantom scrambled into a fighting stance.

“Oh look, the little loser has come out to play.” Bertrand shapeshifted into a panther and swiped his claws at Phantom. 

Phantom dodged his attack but didn’t notice Spectra’s shadow form in his periphery until it was too late. She caught him in a chokehold and flashed an evil grin. 

“I’ve heard you’re trying to fix yourself, little freak. I think that’s hilariously pathetic.” Spectra clenched her hands harder around his throat as Phantom struggled. Despite not needing to breathe in this form, he couldn’t stop his panicked gasping.

“You’ve always been an inconsequential little nobody and you always will be!”

Phantom felt a wave of anguish wash over him as Spectra drained his energy. She was right. Even before the portal, even in middle school he had been a loser with barely any friends and freaky ghost-obsessed parents. 

Spectra laughed as she hurled Phantom against a wall. She and Bertrand were jeering at him as he slid to the ground, groaning in pain. 

If only Squip-Phantom was real and not an AI glued to his human brain, maybe it would be able to handle those two for him. But he was the only Phantom around now.

Actually, maybe Spectra and Bertrand would eat their words if he let Squip-Phantom help him. Maybe he could find out what it’s like to not be a loser, freak, or whatever. 

That thought gave him the strength to get up off the floor and swing a kick at the two distracted ghosts. While they were caught off guard, Phantom grabbed them and flung them intangibly out of the building where they landed with a crash on the football field. 

Phantom glanced at the bleachers where he and Star had sat together earlier. He really had been gaining ground with Squip-Phantom’s help. Before he had gotten the Squip, he never thought that he could talk to a cute girl like that. It had felt really good.  

Phantom’s moment of reflection ended when Bertrand, still in his panther form, pounced on him from behind.

With Phantom pinned to the ground, Spectra swooped in and dragged a claw across his face.

“You’re just going to be a lonely loser forever,” she mocked.

“I’ve had ENOUGH!” Phantom screamed. Spectra and Bertrand flew off him, knocked back by the punch of ghostly wail that seeped into his words. 

Phantom flew higher and started shooting ecto-blasts at the evil ghosts, who frantically dodged away. As he charged a ball of ecto-energy in his hands, he looked up when he heard the familiar sound of the Fenton GAV arriving at the scene. 

He sighed as he saw his dad jump into the fight, giant Fenton Bazooka slung over his shoulder. His dad had always taught him to follow his instincts, trust his inner voice, listen to his heart, and such. 

Phantom swooped to the side, dodging several blasts from his dad’s gun. His whole life he’d followed his instincts-

A green paw caught him in the air and smacked him down to the ground, creating a large crater.

His instincts sucked so much!

From his hole, he heard the sounds of the battle continue. With Phantom temporarily out of the picture, Jack’s focus had turned to Spectra and Bertrand. Phantom felt his arms and legs twinge as he tried to lift himself up and decided instead that he could stay in the hole for a little while.

His mind wandered again to his Squip. He had been taking directions from it and it hadn’t led him astray so far. If his instincts had an objection, maybe it was actually the right choice. 

In the sky above him, he saw the Fenton Bazooka land a hit on Bertrand, sending him back and colliding with Spectra in the air. Their bodies got sucked into the swirling ghost portal that formed moments later, which was Phantom’s signal that it was time to leave. Right as he saw his dad approaching the edge of his crater, he turned intangible and sank through the ground. 

Popping back up behind the bleachers, Phantom detransformed and walked back to the school. He lowered his head and power-walked to the nearest bathroom, then checked the mirror for any visible injuries. He groaned when he saw the bleeding cut on his face. 

As Danny got to work taking out the well-used first aid kid from his backpack and patching up his injuries, he continued his earlier contemplation. Maybe the problem had always been him. That was why Paulina and Valerie had rejected him in the past, right? I was because something was wrong with him. 

Maybe the Squip could show him how to fix himself. 

Danny took a deep breath and checked his face in the mirror again. Bandaged and bruised, he looked awful but at least he wasn’t bleeding. He couldn’t just keep hiding in the bathroom, so he stepped out the door and ran directly into Valerie.

“Sorry, Val!” Danny took a step away from her and rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s okay,” Valerie said, completely unphased by the typical sight of Danny’s constant injuries, and continued walking down the hall. Danny stared after her.

“If Valerie likes me in the end, will I be able to pretend I didn’t fail my friends?” Danny whispered to himself. 

He shook his head violently. 

“That’s the stuff I normally would think, I need to get over it,” Danny stomped towards his locker. “I gotta get my priorities straight.” 

After all the bullying and all the ghost fights and everything else he had dealt with in his miserable life, hadn’t he earned the right to be selfish? As Phantom, he was always helping other people. Didn’t he deserve to do something for himself? 

He’d wasted enough time already with being himself. He was done with being the failure of the Fenton family, the nobody of school… The creepy little boy with creepy little powers.

At his locker, he clenched his teeth as he shoved his books into his bag. Tucker walked up to him just as he zipped his backpack shut.

“Woah, you look terrible,” Tucker said, even though it was obvious. “Are you okay, dude?”

Danny gave him a curt nod. 

“Hey, are you down to hang out now?”

Danny spotted Squip-Phantom materialize next to him but didn’t jump this time.

“Optic Nerve Blocking: on.” Danny furrowed his brows in determination. As soon as he made the command, Tucker disappeared in front of him like he was the one with invisibility powers.

Now, let’s get to work. Squip-Phantom grabbed Danny’s shoulder and led him away.