#who much like other characters like him has been made in a lab to tick a lot of boxes for fandom

[scintillyyy]

if i'm honest i do think part of the reason tim gets fanonized so heavily is that his extroversion and popularity are generally considered characteristics of people fandom doesn't like. however they want to like him and so he must be 'fixed' into an amalgation of 'better' traits.

[enteringdullsville]

‘24 was alright, but it’s definitely the Action to ‘23’s Island; stuck having to continue a tough act to follow.

I know I’m skipping Pahkitew Island (and to a lesser extent World Tour) to get to this, but I have a lot of ideas for what I want (but don’t at all expect) for a third season.

First the elephants in the room, the newbies. Assuming season three is full length, 18 contestants is seems like a good cast size. Nick, labeled “The Know-It-All”, is like an unholy cross between Sierra and Dave: He’s seen every episode of this show fifteen times…and he’s already regretting attending. He’s actually an online critic who made the vital mistake of pissing off Chris in front of millions of his (Nick’s) viewers, prompting Chris to personally reach out to invite him onto the show. The fact Nick’s an in-universe character means he’s a lot more fair to the contestants than most fans and critics would be, but he’s still incredibly caustic to everyone with a pulse (and also Scary Girl). Felicity, labeled “The Gamer Junky” combines Sam’s interests and Lindsay’s demeanor…which I guess is just Kitty. More or less the pain magnet for the first half of the season (Damien takes over partway through), Felicity’s a moderately famous streamer with a rapier wit and is almost as athletic and coordinated as Tyler. She’s more straightforwardly a fan of the show, that’s why Chris picked her, but given that her team is a ticking time bomb, she’s gonna hafta work fast.

The teams consist of the Hiding Snakes (Nick, Damien, Julia, MK, Wayne, Raj, Priya, Millie, and Caleb) and the Feral Kittens (Felicity, Nichelle, Bowie, Emma, Zee, Chase, Ripper, Axel, and Lauren).

Episode 1. The cast is dragged kicking and screaming back to wherever the season takes place. Wawanakwa again? The abandoned movie lot? Boney Island? Who knows, but they don’t have to worry about it, since the challenge is solely for the new duo to pick their teams by collecting golden statuettes of the cast. Maybe it is an Action Sequel.

Episode 2. Nick and Felicity both have their work cut out for them. In one corner is Nick, who has to put up with Julia/MK vs Priya and also everyone on his team not named Wayne. On the other corner is Felicity, who has the misfortune of being caught up in a popularity contest: now that Ripper and Axel are dating, Chase feels he and Zee have been left in the dust (Zee has no clue what’s happening), leaving Chase and Axel to bicker endlessly throughout the challenge. Meanwhile, Emma’s finally taking her opportunity to patch things up with Bowie, who himself is more preoccupied with Scary Girl, who’s taking her loss last season about as well as Courtney did in Island. The absurdity of Ripper being forced to play the voice of reason is not lost on him, but it doesn’t save him from elimination by Felicity, Nichelle, Emma, and Bowie to make the arguing stop. I didn’t want to eliminate him so soon, but he made it halfway through two seasons, so it had to be done.

Episode 3. So it turns out sending the one guy keeping Axel in check and Chase from accidentally killing everything packing was not Felicity’s best idea. Feli and Niche bond over poor game decisions (and the fact the latter’s career is starting to pick back up helps too), while Emma and Bowie are now on speaking terms again. Speaking of which, Emma tries to sic Lauren on Chase (he’s voted her off twice now), giving a recap of all the reckless and insane stuff he’s done. Gotta get rid of your distractions while you can. Unfortunately for Ms. People Person, Lauren was nicknamed “Reckless and Insane Girl” before signing up and the two surprisingly hit it off. MEANWHILE BACK AT THE LAB Nick picks up where Bowie left off and commandeers Julia and MK’s cheating skills for the team, much to Priya’s chagrin. Caleb grows worried about Priya’s mental state, but Millie, determined not to screw herself over again, goes with everything she says without question. In the end, Zee goes home, still hopelessly confused about why everyone’s fighting, but at least avoiding any major social gaffes. It’s a good thing he and Ripper merged twice, otherwise I’d really feel like scum.

Episode 4. This one’s a breather, but we don’t have to tell them that. Nick for the first time is divided over his role as a contestant and as a critic. As a contestant, he knows it’s best to keep Julia, Priya, Wayne, and Caleb as close to him as possible (and pats himself on the back for acing the team picking challenge), but as a critic he doesn’t particularly want to keep them around, especially Julia and Priya who pulled a Gweathuncanoey and have stuck around for two seasons in their entirety. He also kinda wants MK and Julia to become an item. On the flip side, since Emma introduced Chase to his demented new bestie, he’s gotten even more crazy himself and spends the entire challenge locked in a dare contest with Nichelle. Emma and Bowie watch on in amusement to take the latter’s mind off of being separated from Raj, while Axel reminisces about simpler times when she was an early boot. Caleb and Millie continue their power quartet with Damien (who has taken it upon himself to start lugging a first aid kit every he goes) and Priya, whose fuse grows shorter than Eva’s.

Episode 5. Caleb should probably know better than to make deals behind Priya’s back by this point, but it’s her own fault for sharing the Bow’s taste in men. Since the final four of the previous season (and also Damien) are all on the same team, Lauren makes her first strategistical move now that she knows the group’s biggest fears. MK proves to be a tougher nut to crack, however, building on the two’s interactions in the 24 finale. Axel and Chase have entered “Cold War” territory and are both trying to gather allies. Emma and Bowie are a given (although the latter can’t promise anything), and Chase has Scary, but Felicity and Nichelle are anyone’s game. Not that it really matters though, since that deal I mentioned was for The Boys (TM) to vote Caleb out, since he doesn’t want to hold Priya back anymore. Priya is crushed, Julia is laughing hysterically, and Damien’s salty that nobody voted him off when he was literally asking for it. I didn’t want to give him the Gwen/Ezekiel treatment where he’s the lowest member of two teams, especially since it means he’s 16th again, but here we are. Curse my impartiality!

Episode 6. Knowing Priya’s going to stick around as long as she has allies, Julia and MK start gunning for Millie, hoping she slips up eventually. Nick, however, secretly chooses to plot against the duo, even though MK is his favorite character from this season, because honestly, who would you pick as an ally? Meanwhile, the Kitty Kold War’s come to a boiling point with Nichelle and Felicity’s votes up for grabs. Bowie’s been on Team Axel, but after suffering a migraine all day decides to join the two wildcards. In the end however, Wayne genuinely asks Axel and Chase why they’re even arguing to begin with. Realizing that Ripper’s already gone by this point, they decide to cooperate this one time…a decision that sends poor Wayne right to the losers’ circle. I wanted to see how long I could keep the Hockey Bros around before I had to eliminate the one who lasted longer last season. At least he still has his sick awesome two buses.

Episode 7. Did somebody say “reward challenge”? With the teams even for the first time since the second episode, the two have to wrangle up old contestants scattered across the lot (I decided this will be the Action reboot), and appropriately it’s the three most frustrating contestants to track down: Shawn for the Kittens (much to zombie slayer Axel’s delight), Dawn for the Snakes (much to tiny Tsundere MK’s horror), and for a bonus, Ezekiel (who Chris has “procrastinated a bit” on retrieving). This one’s more or less an excuse for character growth, so that’s why I’m describing the challenge in a little more detail. Anywho, Dawn, Shawn, and the one whose name doesn’t rhyme are all caught, the Kittens winning. And MK’s secrets are totally safe and not revealed to the public at all. In other news, Dawn and Shawn both want off the lot immediately after finding out Scary Girl’s still on it.

Episode 8. (Sotto Voce) I’m gonna have to eliminate a girl sooner or later. Anywho, the Cold War arc has finally cooled down since even Axel can’t stay mad forever and Chase is too narcissistic to hold a grudge. With the merge coming up, Felicity requests Nichelle train her since her leadership skills can only get her so far at this point. Priya and Millie are taking the opportunity to relax since Julia and MK are still awkward about the secret crush I totally lied about earlier. Maybe they’ll get together, maybe they won’t…but Nick ensures they totally do, if only because he refuses to let his OTP sink…at least not before he takes the opportunity to eliminate MK, who’s both a bigger social threat and less of a physical aid at the moment. I think she’s made it far enough for me not to have to explain her elimination in detail.

Episode 9. With Julia out of allies, she’s gotta either guarantee her team wins, bribe Chris into throwing in another immunity idol, or make one of her teammates look less desirable than her. In unrelated news, Raj is still missing Wayne after I cruelly tore the two apart. Axel’s now in on Nichelle and Felicity’s alliance, meaning Emma and Bowie have to get in their good books before Scary Girl (she’s still plenty mad at him) does what Fang does best. Try as the noble Priyanka and Millicent may, Julia manages to play up Raj’s misery to get Nick and Damien (in a moment of weakness) to vote him off. For whom Raj himself voted, I didn’t think too hard about, but the Snakes are sucking for a team with four different finalists on it. Oh, and Bowie is pissed. TOTAL DRAMA BOMB!

Episode 10. In the final pre merge episode, not much occurs. That dang moon from All-Stars is making Lauren act strange, even by her own standards, and not in a productive way. Bowie throws caution into the wind and goes all out in trying to make sure Julia goes home (don’t have to tell them twice), making Emma realize how tiring it is to have to play damage control to someone else’s revenge schemes. Nichelle takes charge, refusing to get eliminated before the merge again, while Chase gets everything on film. By this point, Millie’s competent enough to single-handedly win this for her team, and also by this point, Scary’s freaked enough people to get voted out. Of course, this isn’t the last we’ll see of her…because she ran off before Chef could apprehend her.

We now interrupt this program to bring you this picture of Team Victory I drew for a follow up to my iconic TDWT/Jellystone animatic. I wasn’t feeling like making a whole video, but I kept the boarded first shot anyway.

Episode 11. Chris has dissolved the teams for one purpose: catch Scary Girl before she tries to reenact the events of Scarlett Fever. To make a long freaking story short, they apprehend her…and Chris decides to go the Dakota route and give her a promotion…to tertiary third host…meaning she has the means to cause even more mayhem. And no, Chase, that doesn’t mean you get to submit challenge ideas.

Episode 12. It’s Scary’s first day on the new job, but Chris insists she “sTaRt SmAlL”. The girls’ alliance approaches Nick, partially to build their numbers but also because Felicity feels it’s only fair she at least tries to build a friendship with the other rookie player. He agrees, but only if he can bring Damien (his best friend on the island and his second favorite character). Bowie and Emma take their chance to get rid of two birds with one stone, since Priya and Julia now have nothing stopping them from maiming each other. And maim, maim, maim they do, since (as you could probably guess by how I highlighted their names), they both get sent packing! Did I deliberately hold off on voting them out solely so they’d reach the merge a third time? Yes. Did I do this because having them be proper enemies instead of rivals like in 23 was entertaining? Yes. Did I also do this to piss off the people complaining they (read: mostly Priya) had too much screen time? YES! Do I love making this fan base cry? You tell me.

Episode 13. Against his alliance’s better judgment, Nick tries to edge Bowie back into active villainy, realizing too late he’s prioritized competent gameplay over plot by getting rid of the main conflict. Unbeknownst to him, Millie has her sights on him, correctly viewing his alleged alliance as suspicious, not to mention him turning against MK a few episodes back. Damien suffers from a terrible disease called “having Scary Girl in your general vicinity”, and to add figurative insult to literal injury has to deal with Chase trying to befriend him at her request. Luckily for everyone, it’s a reward challenge for the final eight.

Episode 14. Nick may have awakened a monster. Trying to stir up drama again, he decides it’s a great idea to set Lauren on Emma, claiming A: that it’s the best way to get his attention, and B: that only she gets to cause him harm. Feeling genuine emotions of protection for the first time in her life, she does all she can to make Emma suffer (even though the latter genuinely doesn’t care what Chase does at this point and is willing to be polite if he doesn’t pull anything). Millie and Bowie put aside their differences to stake out Nick, but of course Bowie has other plans. The girls’ alliance continues to serve and oh would you look at that, Emma’s gone because she’s canonically rich anyway and Scary’s not gonna let up while she’s still on the island. I could’ve made her elimination not Chase related. But I didn’t. Emma deserves better, but this is Total Drama, where we don’t even remotely give a crap.

Episode 15. Bowie’s out of allies and Scary’s still after him, so now he really needs to keep Millie close, and what better way is there than to break up an alliance? Nick’s more than a little suspicious about Millie’s sudden investment about everything he does, prompting Bowie to claim she’s in love with him and can’t communicate it. Nick is doubtful, but the idea behind planted in his mind causes him to catch feelings. Damien, being Nick’s confidant and feeling guilty about how he indirectly screwed Priya and Caleb (and also Zee) last season concerning their romance arc, tries to steer him away from her. Axel and Scary bond a little when they trick out the Sling of Shame, and by that I of course mean they accidentally break it in half. Chris already sold the Drone of Despair, so let’s call this one a draw.

Episode 16. Bowie, now fully back in the groove of things, tries to drive a wedge between Nick and the rest of his alliance, while Nick has some delicious angst over what he should do about his budding feelings, knowing full well that Bowie’s lying to him but failing to realize Millie wants him gone. Felicity pops up for the first time in a while, which in Island would mean she’s going home next (let’s imagine she won immunity last episode) but here means the girls’ alliance goes through its first rough patch when Axel, who’s long since taken over as leader, tests Felicity’s resolve. Unfortunately for Axel, Millie, Bowie, Damien, and Nick view her signature brand of tough love out of context and drop her like Ripper’s parents dropped him.

Episode 17. Ten episodes left and a lucky number seven contestants remain. Chris tells the kids (or are they 18 by now?) upfront that today’s a reward challenge, the prize being a FaceTime with the eliminated contestants. Millie, still wanting answers, and Bowie, wanting to see Raj again, immediately dissolve their alliance. Everyone tries (except Chase, who had a phone the entire time and got to keep it three seasons in a row by not being as obvious as Julia was), but Millie comes out on top, ultimately learning about Nick’s alliance…and his crush. She has the decency to let Raj and Wayne say hi to Bowie. Chase learns something, too…

Episode 18. Nick decides Bowie’s more trouble than he’s worth, but rather than just telling everyone to vote him off (which he predictably finds overused), he decides to play a game of “show, but don’t tell”. So using that as the episode title. He immediately decides to play this on hard mode with the two remaining contestants who have the least amount of beef with him: the fangirl Felicity and the airheaded Chase. Surprisingly, this actually works and Bowie gets sent home, Nick realizing he doesn’t have to rely on others to make drama for him. Millie sees what he’s doing but is confused about his slightly convoluted methods, not helped by Nick’s complete and utter failure to explain himself, by this point completely smitten. Damien notices that Nick’s popularity is fading and decides to lie low for a bit rather than betray him or risk being associated with him.

Episode 19. Reward challenge time? With only Millie, Felicity, Nichelle, Chase, Damien, and himself left, Nick seriously considers playing the main villain. Chase is the odd man out, lacking any sort of alliance and still having sort of a target on his back, but he doesn’t seem too concerned. Millie struggles to approach Nick without breaking his heart, since while he isn’t really her ally, he hasn’t really done much to wrong her. After all, he’s a better partner than opponent.

Episode 20. Every villain has their nemesis, and Nick was not expecting it to be Chase of all people, but Chase outs him before Millie can. Damien sticks by Nick (in silence of course, because he’s still friends with Nichelle and to a lesser extent Felicity), but Millie’s conflicted. Nonetheless, Nichelle and Felicity start gunning for him, breaking up the alliance, and they would’ve gotten away with it too, if Chris didn’t remember sudden death challenges exist. Millie has the misfortune of finishing last and is sent home, but not before she decides to just ask him out, figuring she doesn’t have anything to lose at this point.

Episode 21. Notice a pattern? It’s another reward challenge! Scary Girl’s been in a rut lately, and the challenges have grown dull, so Chris has brought in many of TD’s most terrifying beasts, mutants included back on to spice things up a bit. Even the Dakotazoid returns, half the size she was before but now sporting wings for some reason. I guess mutations evolve. Chase chooses now to start caring about other people, but because it’s Chase it’s doomed to backfire horribly, given that it gives Lauren a wonderfully wicked idea…

Episode 22. …that involves locking people in closets. Specifically Chris and Chef. Scary Girl’s the host today and she’s back and more terrifying than ever. Nick, Nichelle, Felicity, and Chase put aside their differences (not that Felicity ever had issues with any of them) when the challenge becomes “Stop Lauren”. Aaaand now I realize Scarlett Fever was probably recycled from the scrapped episode where Dakota hosted the show after locking Chris and Chef in a closet herself. Anywho, Chase is fired on the spot for starting this whole mess…right before Scary kisses him, resigns, hops on the sling with him, declaring him her “boyfriend for eternity”. Chase has only half a second to process what the freshwater frick just happened before getting flung away.

Episode 23. Can you tell I’m getting tired? Only four remain, split between two alliances who used to be part of a greater one. Nick assures the others it’s nothing personal before things can start. Things happen, hijinks ensue, interns are mauled, but it’s ultimately Nichelle who crosses the finish line last. Better 4th than 12th or 14th. On that note, now we all know Felicity’s gonna be a finalist.

Episode 24. Nick and Damien part ways somewhat amicably, Nick knowing it was bound to happen eventually.

Episode 25. One final breather episode: this one’s just a big pre finale party! Really, the only thing the contestants need to worry about are Chase diving into the cake, Wayne and Raj freezing the pool, and Julia and MK doing their darnedest to bring the mood down.

Episode 26. A simple, no frills finale…is what I’d say if Chris hadn’t brought back every finalist the show has had (including Ezekiel, ostensibly because he got the TDWT prize money, but mostly to squeeze some mayhem in before Zeke’s first therapy meeting), in particular Priya, Bowie, Millie, Wayne, Julia, and Caleb. Damien vs Felicity vs Nick, battle of the nerds! Three go in…one comes out.

[medlilove]

So, I have been playing with an au/oc with ToS and hired a Botanist character. But somehow I have extebnded a few bullet points that explain why Bones was last to meet him on the ship to like, a massive, rather mundane fic that has given me the chance to explore how the different characters interact with each other. All before the Botanist even shows up, in fact, I keepo adding things to put it off.

The scene was initial made to be a rather uneventful first interaction. But it just got longer and longer

and longer

The Botanist Part One 🌱🌱🌱

Bones' thoughts on The Botany Department weren't great. They didn't really do anything. Yes, it could be argued that his general disconnect from the department stemmed from his distaste for Dr. Daniel Yvonne, who was a very uninspired man. Here he was, exploring a strange new world every month or so, full of life completely unknown to science, and what did he do? The bare minimum needed to submit the paperwork. McCoy felt that the man would be just as inspired working in the basement of an Earthside insurance office, opening mail.

McCoy couldn't understand why someone would take on such an incredible role as that on the USS Enterprise, and do so little with it. He often complained loudly to Kirk in confidence that the department's resources were being wasted and the man should be kicked out. 

There was so much out there, yet Yvonne was just ticking boxes. Sending his poor team out to the planets to collect minimal samples while he remained in his lab. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that the lab and medical spaces shared the same deck on the Enterprise, and often crossed paths. 

Although McCoy and Chapel snarked and sniped at each other on a regular basis, often alarming new patients, they had the same care and ambitions and had more in common than not, especially regarding Dr. Yvonne. Nurse Christine Chapel was another crew member who McCoy could mutter openly over his dislike of how Botany was run. One of the few things they agreed on in fact. Chapel hated how cold and unsocial he was to his team, whom she had grown to know quite well.

It, therefore, came as quite a surprise to everyone when Dr. Yvonne had a complete mental breakdown one morning after a particularly dangerous planetary expedition, in which one of his team, Sacha, was nearly eaten by a giant carnivorous cactus. He broke all the glass in his lab, spreading all sorts of spores and seeds everywhere, and tried to jump out a (very sealed) window. Chapell got to him first and sedated him, a little too enthusiastically, not that Bones would have done it any differently. McCoy had a suspicion that it wasn’t so much Sacha’s wellbeing he was worried about, but the sudden disruption of standard protocol and additional paperwork. 

And thus, Dr. Daniel Yvonne was sent Earthside on the next available shuttle, looking rather glassy eyed and sweaty. That, of course, left the Enterprise needing a new Head of Botany, and with Sacha recovering from the cactus attack, and the only other member of the Botany Department being Edwin, who was only 22, they asked the Federation to assign a new member.

There was a planet a few days away that had a research station on it. Dr. Alfred Nahdi accepted a temporary replacement role on the Enterprise, and would be with them for around six months.

He was brought aboard three weeks after Dr. Yvonne's departure. The federation had assigned him with the go ahead from the Captain. Therefore no one really knew much about him.

McCoy wasn’t available to be at the customary meeting party in the transporter room when Dr Nahdi beamed on board. Turns out, just an hour before the new botanist was set to beam on board, one of Scotty’s engineers, Phoebe Carrilin, had fallen three flights while in the engine room, broken her neck and landed on her head. While not technically life threatening in that day and age, Dr. McCoy needed to take particular care putting her back together, due to the intricacies of the spine and the severe swelling that she had suffered. 

Kirk had explained McCoys absence when showing Nahdi around and to his labs. Some medical emergency that Alfred would rather not know the details of, he was a little more squeamish than he’d care to admit. As they exited the elevator and walked down the wide corridors of the primary science level of the enterprise, Nahdi noticed that the Medical Space was completely sealed off. Made sense, if some major surgery was taking place. The automatic doors didn't respond to them passing by. There was a strip of red light along the borders of it, that Nahdi recognised as an indication to only disturb for serious medical emergencies.  He wondered what kind of man was behind that door. 

He had arrived late in the afternoon, so the senior management meeting, to introduce him to who and what everyone did, would be, thankfully, scheduled for the next day. 

After settling into his quarters, Nahdi wandered back to his lab to spend a bit more time poking around and seeing what, if anything Dr Yvonne had left. The science floors appeared to be dead quiet this time of night. Almost everyone was off duty, and unlike engineering, rarely needed staff on rota 24hrs. He was enjoying the quiet hum of his new home. He walked up and down the isles of planters, vessels and canisters. The lights were kept low, and a fine mist filled the space. Making it humid, yet very comforting. The Enterprise had amazing resources, but he noticed that the lab was not fully utilised. There was so much potential. He couldn’t wait to get started.

He lingered for a while just inside the door, analysing the large screens displaying complex calendars and rotas, learning the names of his team. Sacha, Edwin, and Evangeline….just three? Doing some quick maths on the rota, they must be on at least 50 hours a week each, surely that’s not right? He felt a pang that was simultaneously sympathy and pride. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts at the distinct sound of a door opening a little distance away.  He heard a man and women talking softly in the corridor. He couldn’t hear exactly what was said, but the tone was familiar, friendly, yet serious in tone. The woman’s voice seemed reassuring and the man’s tired and almost annoyed. He said something then, while giving out a small laugh of exasperation which made the women give out one small laugh then say something indicating instruction. Nahdi didn’t move, suddenly feeling very self conscious about potentially intruding on something personal. Mortified at the idea of them suddenly spotting this rather tall and broad man they had never seen before standing randomly in a door that was half glass, therefore fairly visible. That would make quite an awkward first impression.

He couldn’t help himself, Nahdi moved his head very slightly and glanced down the corridor.  Just in time to see a blond Nurse turn back into the medical lab, and just caught a figure of a man in the science blue, closing the elevator door at the end of the corridor. His face was hidden by his palm rubbing his eyes as his other hand absentmindedly pushed the elevator button a few times. All Alfred could determine was that he seemed a little skinny, shorter than he (though most people are) and potentially around his age. That was the CMO, he’d bet money on it.

Nahdi thought that the man might have squinted up and seen him in the last blink of the moment, but he couldn’t be sure. 

The surgery had lasted five hours and Carrilin would be on her feet the next afternoon. 

It was around 20:00 when he was finally done. McCoy swapped out with Chapel and went straight to bed without eating, having just enough energy to pull off his uniform. His dreams swam with intricate, fragile puzzles and a strange tall bearded figure watching him from a glass fronted door.

[thanx-files]

Season 3 Wrap-Up

Let’s skip the boring part. We know the routine by now, and I have a lotttt to say this time around. Thoughts on Talitha Cumi and S3 below the cut.

Talitha Cumi

My least favorite season finale so far, if I’m honest. It’s not that the stakes weren’t high enough, it’s that I was confused for a lot of this episode. I, like Mulder, have precious little patience for Cancer Man and his musings, and there were a LOT of musings in this episode. I’m going to have to read the Wikipedia plot summary for this one. Also, not enough Scully.

Season 3

My favorite season so far. I know, I know “Thanx, you’ve said that every season!” If you’ll recall, I was on the fence about season 2 being better than season 1 (Pilot my beloved) because I feared recency bias. But I feel very strongly that S3 beats out both S1 and S2 pretty handily, recency notwithstanding. Why? Because it’s fun, in a way. The first handful of episodes are less so, but as the season finds a rhythm, there are these brilliant little character moments. Skinner gains a lot of depth this season, for example, but he also has some killer one-liners that tell us he is playing this game for better or for worse.

And as for Mulder and Scully? If there is one thing these two will do, it’s talk on the phone. Those were some of my favorite details this season. The classic “it’s me,” but also the way they can’t stay off the phone in Coprophages. The way Mulder knows Scully will stay on the line to eavesdrop in Avatar. Mulder, our “ticking time-bomb of insanity” starts to show his Captain Ahab side more (hello, Grotesque???). And Scully gets to call him on it! More importantly, the moment I’ve been waiting for: they finally let Scully be so so Catholic.

This season just went crazy, I don’t know what to tell you. There are some seriously unhinged episode progressions — and I’m not even talking about the two-parters. Coprophages to Syzygy to Grotesque (just two eps before Pusher)? Quagmire to Wetwired? Stop it.

5 fave eps (now with more musing!):

Revelations - I told y’all I wanted more Catholic Scully, and this episode really delivered. I love that our skeptic is religious, however remotely. I love Scully. I love that there is this part of her which the X-Files never seem to touch — until they do.

War of the Coprophages - The way they can’t stay off the phone with each other. The way Fox Mulder just HAPPENS to be in the cockroach town during the cockroach uprising. The bug that crawls across the screen. The way Mulder is eating chocolate cake while writing his report about how he narrowly escaped an exploding shit lab. The inexplicably exotic bug he squishes without hesitation.

Pusher - Fuck all the way off. The paper that just says “Pass.” “Smile, Scully.” Russian roulette. Russian roulette!!! I don’t need to tell you all about this. You already know. Plus, there’s this deeply unwell post I already made.

Jose Chung from Outer Space - I also already posted about this one, but the TL;DR is that this sitcom fanatic loves a frame story and a series of Events Which Probably Didn’t Happen Like That.

Quagmire - I KNOW I KNOW it was between this and Wetwired. But when it comes down to it, the Captain Ahab conversation is just too fucking good. Also, I feel I should honor the memory of Queequeg, who deserved better.

5 least fave eps:

The Blessing Way - It’s not that it’s a bad ep, it’s just not for me. I’ve never been much for the metaphysical “between life and death” thing where you talk to your dead dad and he tells you to keep living. This is because my heart is made of rocks.

The List - I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t like prison eps.

Piper Maru & Apocrypha - I just got lost. Glad to see Krycek again tho!

Talitha Cumi - See above.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to buckle my seatbelt for the [REDACTED] [REDACTED] arc. Maybe I’ll also rewatch the pilot just for kicks.

[cinnamon-bunni]

omg not me finally getting around to posting this. I was just about done with this for a while now but kept forgetting to finish the last paragraph and post so. here i am now. finally posting it lmao

once again this is made for @a-scary-lack-of-common-sense's job switcheroo au!! i really hope i did your characters justice, i just absolutely love them, they're so fun to write <33 please enjoy!!!

Louise found himself standing outside of the medic’s lab. The doors had been closed since early morning, with Germinoma being the only one who ever came in and out of the place. Though, Lyse wasn’t sure how much that actually happened. He didn’t think he had heard the doors open since breakfast.

He leaned against the wall, right across from the doors. He stared at the doors as his internal clock ticked the seconds that passed, with him at some point wondering if he could perhaps bore a hole through the doors with how much he stared. He made no move to open it, or knock, or anything to gain the doctor’s attention from the other side.

In truth, Louise had been waiting for a few minutes. He had news for Germinoma, but was unsure if it was the right time to tell him. It had been silent, for the most part, inside of the lab-slash-medical station, with only faint murmurs being heard by the ex-spy. What the medic was doing, he had no idea.

He clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth together. Germinoma had important work, something he emphasized to the whole team last they saw him, just after breakfast. It didn’t seem like any other “important” work, not like before. It seemed…serious. It gave Louise a bad feeling in his gut, one that he didn’t like. Things were happening in the background, bad things, and without him or his team knowing. Germinoma knew something about it. Louise wasn’t sure if he wanted to know himself.

Footsteps down the hall caught Louise’s attention, as well as…dragging? Scraping against the smooth, concrete floor made him turn his attention off the door. He grimaced at the sight of Monday, just down the hall, coming towards him with a very much broken leg that was leaving a bloody trail as he walked.

“Hey,” he greeted, once he had gotten closer. Too close, in Louise’s opinion, as he could smell the reek of blood and dirt and whatever else he may have gotten in contact with. Louise cringed at the sight of the other man’s hair, all crusted and matted with both dried and fresh blood, along with saliva from the soldier’s chewing habits. God knows when the last time the man had showered. Louise scowled when the other planted himself just a few feet away from him and had mimicked the same way he was leaning against the wall.

“What do you want?” he asked, tone clear that he would rather have that man be anywhere else on the base than there. Monday shot him a sloppy grin, fixing his hair by brushing the disgusting strands off and over his shoulder. He did nothing though, to fix those crooked, yellow-tinted glasses that were cracked in one lens, and completely missing another.

“What, can’t a guy wait for the doc to heal ‘im up?”

Louise scoffed, and reached for his cigarettes and lighter. “I doubt the doctor would see you even if you had a knife stuck in your head.”

“Wrong, Goldilocks,” Monday responded with the same shit-eating grin, “considering that happened last week, I have to say I might just be his favorite patient yet.”

Louise thinks about the incident when Germinoma stabbed Monday with a needle, seemingly out of the blue, because the latter had apparently gotten on the medic’s nerves one too many times that week.

“Right. I’m sure you are.”

“If anything, I should be askin’ why you’re here, mate.” Monday titled his head a bit, and Louise noticed blood started to come down his face, the injury hidden underneath somewhere in his hair. “So. What’re you doin’ here?”

Louise lit up a cigarette, the movement being muscle-memory to him. “I have important news for the doctor, but he has more important work that has to be done. So, I am waiting.”

Silence filled the hallway, and if Louise listened hard enough, he could hear the voice of the doctor inside the room. The man had always been fond of voice recordings; a better way to take notes of his work and thoughts, without having to stop everything to write it down. And he hid them, hid them very well in his chaotic-tidiness of that room, so that no one could find them.

Not that Louise had searched for them or anything.

“Well Louie, I’m afraid that my very broken leg and other injuries take priority,” Monday argued. “So, if you excuse me mate-” As Monday moved, Louise outstretched his arm to stop him.

“No.”

Monday paused, a scoff leaving him.

“No?”

“The doctor is busy,” Louise explained once more, “and neither of us are going to interrupt him. We both know how he gets, and he won’t do a single thing to help you if you put him in a mood.” A deep drag of his cigarette calmed the demo’s nerves. “His work is bigger than either of us. Bigger than him.” He took out his cigarette, using it as a pointer as he tilted it towards the closed doors. “He’s got a dead BLU in there–why? What sort of work involves a dead enemy?”

Monday did not respond. The masked demolition man sighed, and leaned back again against the wall. “We both know that something is afoot, whether you want to admit it or not. Things we don’t understand, the doctor doesn’t understand; you can pretend, but then you’ll just be even more of a sad man than I took you for.” Another drag from his cigarette. “So no, you will not bother him. Go get a first-aid kit somewhere else and fuck off.”

Silence filled the air, as Louise glared at the soldier, who just gave him a blank stare behind his broken glasses. “Not going to lie mate,” Monday finally started, voice low, “I’ve been bleedin’ out for a while now, and haven’t heard a word you said for the past minute now. So if you excuse me Goully, I am going to get myself some medical attention before I pass out again.”

When Monday took another step, Louise was quick to light another cigarette and flick it towards his feet. This one though, not quite a normal cigarette, explodes on impact, making a moderate boom. 

Monday leapt back when the boomstick hit a few inches away from his feet. “The hell mate?!” he yelled. “The fuck’s wrong with you?”

If Louise was as attentive as he said he was, then he would have noticed how the noises had ceased in the medical lab; no more sounds of equipment, no doctor talking to himself. Alas, he was not, and so he answered the soldier’s question.

“Germinoma has made it clear to everyone on the base what happens when we disturb him,” Louise repeated. “And more than that, I won’t lie by saying I’m not interested in what he’s investigating. You disturbing his work is ruining what chance he has of investigating something that goes just beyond a fucking broken bone or duties done on the base; we will wait patiently because if that’s what it takes for him to learn about something that could potentially affect us all on a unfathomable scale, then I will gladly stand out here.” Louise paused his long rant, letting a smile creep onto his face. “Besides, throwing my sticks at you is quite entertaining.”

Just as Louise reached into his pocket for another boomstick, the loud door of the lab slid open. The two outside froze as the noise filled the area, as they found themselves facing a rather furious looking medic.

“Oh, hey Germy,” Monday said with a wave of his hand. He smiled and said, “leg’s a bit broken, if you’re up to fixin’ that.”

Germinoma’s eyes glanced down the hall, forcing him to do a double-take; he leaned out of the doorway to look at the long trail of blood that led to the pair, with a large puddle of it at the soldier’s feet–not even mentioning the dark spot of soot from the explosion.

“The fuck is wrong both of ya?” he asked. “Is today fucking ‘Piss Off Medic Day?’ Or are you two asshats just so fuckin’ in love with me that you can’t just fathom leavin’ me alone for a whole day?”

Neither answer for a few beats. Monday then spoke up, pointing at the demo to say, “he got something important to tell ya, and I am about to pass out from blood loss from a botched landmine-jump.” He shrugged. “Still workin’ on it, but it’s coming along nicely.”

Germinoma gave him a blank stare, leaving Louise quiet in understanding of how the man surely felt.

“Get your ass in here,” he eventually groaned. “Not like I was doin’ anything important. I should really get you a helmet or something, Jesus.”

Monday gave a sloppy salute, answering with a “sir, yes sir” before marching on in. The medic’s attention snapped over to Louise.

“And what the hell is it that you want? You got more important things to bother me with than what I was doin’?”

A smile appeared on Louise’s face. “Just hear to tell you that you’re assigned dinner duty tonight,” he said, and took his leave. 

“Wha–are you fucking kiddin’ me!? Yeah, let me just drop everything on my plate to cook up some soup. Thank God my entire plate was empty, or else I wouldn’t have time to stir a big pot full of lentils and meat and shit in it! I was almost worried that I wouldn’t be able to do that, and instead would be forced to work all day on something totally fucking not important or anything! Jesus fucking shit!” 

Louise was unable to keep the grin off his face as he walked down the hall, the shouts slowly turning into a faint and muted noise as he headed off to his own room. No answers from the medic about what he had been doing, not that Louise had even asked. Only sarcastic remarks from the man, and nothing more. Not unusual, not for the secretive doctor, but Louise still needed answers; for what Germinoma was working on, for what the hell was even happening to the BLUs.  He wouldn’t get them, not now, and he accepted that. But nonetheless, he knew something was afoot, and he'd be damned if he didn’t try, at least a little bit, to see what Germinoma was investigating.

[kaseytoretto118]

Csi

(I am up to s9)

Ok so I'm watching Csi for the first time and (loving it, it is so going to be a regular re-watch/binge) I have thoughts.

1st thing is that I love Lady Heather/ Grissom and I wanted them to end up together, not Grissom and Sara. Don't get me wrong I like Sara (kinda) but I feel like her and Grissom's romantic relationship came out of left field, like one episode they were just friends and then the next Sara is going on about it not affecting the promotion and it kinda shocked me (maybe I was just not paying attention to the sub-text but I don't think I wasn't) and then when they are together it was not healthy. I think Lady Heather/ Grissom was a far better relationship as they had much better as they have chemistry(in my opinion but I think i'm right), no power em-balance. In fact that is one of the main points of their relationship is that they match each other on a power level (intellectually & in many other ways) and also they have better communication and just are a better looking couple (no offence to Jorja Fox, she is a beautiful woman but Lady Heather actress is just more my type). Maybe I will get more context or something later on in the show on how Sara/Grissom as a couple but for now (at least) I still ship lady Heather/Grissom.

On another note,

Archie is my favorite lab rat, love him.

Do we even meet Dave's (super Dave/ M.E assistant) wife?

Also I would so read Greg's book.

Is it just me or is it that Lindsey's ages so quick, like I feel like she went from like 7 to 14 in a couple of episodes/ a season. Is it just me that just me or is it a timeline thing?.

Why in Hades name did Warrick get married?, to a woman the audience only hear about less than a hand full of times. Also eloped, come on🙄. There is no way. he would have gotten married without his family (the csi team, cause they are differently a family).Nick, should have been his best man & the team should have not heard about it after the fact(I am ticked off with the writers about that).

Also I really thought that the Warrick/ Catherine plot-line was going somewhere. I wanted it to, I was rooting for them and loved the idea of them as a couple, I mean Grissom and Sara did it, so why not let them and unlike Sara/Grissom there was no power em-balance. As well there where many things that would have made Catherine/ Warrick a good couple (my opinon), like that they were friends first, they had go chemistry, they both understand the job, the things they saw and the hours and also Warrick knew Linsey and lastly and most importantly is that they knew each others pasts, historys and baggage. I think they would have been a great couple,

One of the many things that ticked me off about Warrick's death (I wish they did not kill him at but I don't know why Warrick's actor left), is that they gave him a son and did nothing with that storyline (maybe they did, who knows and maybe they do something in the later seasons but I doubt it) and now that kid has to grow up without a dad (yes I no it is a show but still in universe he has to) the thing Warrick did not want for him and Tina is the mother, right?.

I have fallen in love the Greg/Nick ship.

And I found a Bobby Dawson/Henry Andrews fic and now can't get over them as a couple.

Nick's hair, I swear it changes more than Sam Winchesters LOL.

Also Freaking Ecklie as under sheriff.

Where did Sofia go?

And I cannot get over the fact that Laurence Fishburne is in Csi, I keep yelling at his character about thing Jack Crawford did or expecting him to act like Jack LOL.

I have this idea/head-canon that Lucy Chen from the rookie and Nick Stokes being in a buried alive support group together and becoming friends.

And does anyone else kinda of play along with Csi to see if they can guess the answer/ killer/ motive/ what happened ?

And finally is Csi: Las Vegas, the sequel worth the watch after I finish Csi. As I Kind want to watch it (and am most likely going to watch it) but I just, wanted to get an opinion if it is any good.

[emcscared-whumps]

WiJ 2023 - 04: Share Whumperflies Media

WiJ 2023 Navigation Post

A Show/Movie/Book/Series that Gives Me Whumperflies

Honestly? I'm far too picky about whumpees and I don't consume all that much media (especially not these days since i have my own purpose-built character who is capable of hitting just about EVERYTHING I like) to have many items to rave about ^-^'

HOWEVER.

That does not mean that there is nothing :)

I'll go right back to the start, in fact (in rough order)... just keep in mind that I don't watch for whump, and these aren't whump recommendations except for one lmao, they're just what have managed to give me whumperflies in the past.

Cybergirl (2001-02)

An Australian sci-fi superhero T.V. series that was airing in the morning when I was a young kid, maybe 6 or 7, back before I understood how T.V. scheduling worked lol. I don't often get whumperflies from media, but I think this time, I did, and it's actually my earliest memory of whumperflies.

Cy ended up trapped in a Big Fancy House by the Big Bad, Rhyss. It's been many years since I last re-watched the show so I don't remember a whole lot except there was a lot of urgency and a zappy barrier that Cy couldn't pass through, and I definitely got some kind of feeling about that :)

The writing was very average, not very substantial for an older viewer, but it was excellent for a kids' show. There was so much lore that just never got expanded on, and it didn't go particularly hard with the whump :')

H2O Just Add Water (2006-10)

To no one's surprise, I ADORED this series as a kid. My obsession with mer had just started, and honestly, this shit FED ME. This was another Australian show that I watched when I was fairly young (again, 6-7 and onward), but I don't recall watching it when it aired. I instead had a collection of DVDs.

The girls and co got into some pretty interesting hijinks while trying to guard their fishy little secrets, but shit got REAL in season 6 when a marine biologist coworker of the friend of the girls' Lewis managed to leave a sample of their skin/scale in the lab... OOPS.

You can guess where that lead-- the scientist trying to track down the owner of the magic scale that could turn back into skin (somehow lmao, ~magic~), and she eventually trapped the girls in their little grotto with a gate that she had installed at the underwater entrance of their grotto spot on Mako Island.

Here's where I mention that I did not actually get whumperflies from this lmao, but it was a close one (the scientist didn't go far enough lmao). That's okay though :) One self indulgent decision just under 10 years later sure fixed that :))

Vampire Knight Anime (2008, English Dub aired in Aus in 2011)

The whole show. Every episode. I'm not even kidding. (Well, just about every episode lol, there was maybe only one where I didn't). As many problems as I have with the series, (mainly that every time I see Yuuki or hear her voice I want to strangle her), Zero was just so. fucking. scrunchy-- almost the perfect whumpee ^-^ And the English voice actor does such a glorious job of voicing Zero's pain, the whole series is ABSOLUTELY worth enduring Yuuki's stupidity.

Iirc, my favourite episode was Crimson Chains-- full of spoilers, a lot of plot bits come together at that point, so I can't say much other than that Zero's lost his shit and has a whole big scene where he writhes and pants on the floor with the agony of his hunger. I am convinced the author ALSO liked that XD

I would sit at night and watch that episode over and over and over because man, those whumperflies were something else, super intense, 11/10 lmao

Doctor Who (1963-present)

Nine had that one episode where he got caught by some collector dude and tortured to figure out what made him tick, or rather that he had TWO hearts that made him tick... Fun times, that DEFINITELY gave me whumperflies and had me furtively returning to the episode to keep watching that scene.

A lot of Ten's run had me by the throat, most memorably his regeneration at the start of his run, and his regeneration at the end directly after an hour (approximately) of whump was. AMAZING. I kept coming back to the start and end 😅

There were a couple more times I got whumperflies throughout his run. The main episodes that come to mind are Midnight, set on the planet of sapphires and lethal radiation, and 42, involving a spaceship hurtling toward a sun.

There was only one more whumpy instance, and that was that one movie they made. I forget who, when... EVERYTHING except the dude that played looked like Gene Wilder and it took place on NYE of the new millenium. It was another shitfight with The Master. ANYWAY. The whumperflies were at the START of the movie when The Doctor wasn't doing so well, I think he got shot?? And then rushed to the hospital, all while trying to avoid that and trying to communicate that they'll kill him

Supernatural (2005-20)

Ok. This one is weird in two ways. I forget which episode it was, but it was season 2 where Sam and Dean were trying to kick a group of vampires out of a town, but they were actually cool/chill vampires...?

Or at least some of them were...

ANYWAY.

This other hunter had this vampire chic tied to a chair baaaasically torturing her...? Memory's a bit foggy on what exactly what they were doing (the brainworms wouldn't stop wriggling about AUs), but I got these itty bitty whumperflies from that vampire lady getting hurt. That was weird because 1) I've only had whumperflies off the ladies once before watching Cybergirl which was SO long ago, and 2) I never have had them from watching a side-character, I usually have to be emotionally invested.

Weird right?? Absolutely wild though!

Anyway, that's pretty much everything, even though I've seen and read a fair few things lol, hope you enjoyed my rambling!

[kaeyapilled]

i just want to study him in a lab sometimes. i want to open his head like an analog clock to see all the mechanisms and understand what makes him tick. but like in a fully affectionate way. kaeya is the type of character i genuinely love so much. with certain characters im obsessed with them but also i hate them. you know? like dazai bsd. i hate that guy more than i love him sometimes. i think there's a concept in homestuck that explains this. i wouldn't know im not a homestuck fan. anyway this isnt the case with kaeya. i genuinely like him so bad. i look forward to every quest where he's present even if it's just for five minutes. hes my best friend and i know him personally and intimately. he has been my number one form of escapism for months (over a year, even, if you want to count the kaeya fanfic i would read in class last year too) and that can really make you obsessed with a fictional guy. i want to give him a hug. i wanr to put him in awful situations and then offer him comfort from other characters. he is like my barbie doll i put in increasingly more insane scenarios, but never ever break. i am like brushing his hair with a heart-shaped plastic brush right now. i tuck him into bed with a little kiss. anyway im not joking when i say he rewired my brain irreversibly. irreparable damage to the psyche. even when im not into genshin impact anymore i know i will still remember him fondly as the character who made me lose my mind circa 2023. okay ive talked enough

Why do you like Kaeya?

i will spare you from the hours long rant but oh my god everything about him. his smooth talker personality that got a bit on my nerves at first and that hides someone very kind and profoundly wounded underneath. hes so sad. i love sad characters. hes funny. hes good with kids. hes lost two fathers. the inner conflict present throughout his entire story and character makes me go insane. i can think of few other characters with such bad emotional repression issues. i like his voice also. the english va does a really good job with it. he also looks really pretty and it's one of the few genshin designs i dont entirely despise (especially the skin!!!). but primarily i like him not for horny or aesthetic reasons but because his story is just so compelling. way before i started playing genshin impact i was already obsessed with him. i read the manga just for him. i literally didnt even play the game. i read copious amounts of fanfiction about him (all.. severely out of character, as i have observed recently, but my point still stands) because i just loved him so much. he's my main since the moment the game gave him to me. he is never leaving my team because i dont care about meta i care about kaeya. shit i said i was gonna spare you the hour long rant fuck. uh. i just really like kaeya. hes one of the most characters ever. to me. hes even bisexual

[xadoheandterra]

Series: still waters run deep Title: Transitive Existence Fandom: The Sandman (Netflix + Comics semi-fusion), Danny Phantom Chapters: I | II Enablers: @demigodorion @azthedragon @kbobrian (because you three litereally went “do it” soooooo….) Characters: Death of the Endless | Teleute, Time, Clockwork, Danny Fenton Pairings: Night/Time (historical) Tags: Discovery and Ignorance, Death Is Nosy, Clockwork Is Cryptic, Referenced Dream in the Fishbowl, dichotomy of existence, Death is a good big sister, introspective Summary: A New Endless is born, a new sibling of the Seven, a new child of Night and Time. This, predictably, has consequences. Not that Danny really cares. He’s just here to live his life and maybe make friends with these people who’ve been at this whole ‘Endless’ thing longer than he has. And okay maybe the idea of older siblings that aren’t Jazz is an interesting prospect and maybe being accepted by someone who understands is on that list somewhere.

Oh, and there might be something about rescuing a cosmic entity in there but whose counting?

Danny twisted lightly in the air as he floated in the sea of empty green that made up the Ghost Zone almost aimlessly. He'd been sent off by Jazz with a smile and a bag and a kiss to the forehead. There was the promise and threat to return to Physical once his business in the Zone had been done since Danny knew Tucker, Jazz, and Sam had all planned some sort of birthday celebration. Maddie and Jack weren't home, thank the Ancients, otherwise it would have taken more work for Danny to even get into the Zone for this visit.

With a grin Danny twisted to fly on his back as he stared at the expanse. He wondered what Clockwork had to tell him now that he was seventeen. It'd been almost a full year since Clockwork came into his life, nearly three full years since he'd died and revived in equal measure in the lab accident beneath his home. The older ghost had been a godsend after their initial and rough start; his knowledge helped so much in Danny's own growing grasp of his abilities and then his many questions and ever growing curiosity about the Zone. Now Clockwork specifically asked Danny to visit on 'the day of your arrival as a being in the Physical,' which was Clockwork-speak for birthday, apparently. Compared to, 'the day of your making in the Realms,' which apparently was the day of the lab accident. Danny didn't know why Clockwork phrased it like that, but that was the ancient ghost for you.

Not that Clockwork was actually a ghost; Danny had to be blind to not realize there was nothing 'ghostly' about Clockwork, but he lacked the context for what Clockwork is other than a mysterious time-based entity of unfathomable power who had an extreme fondness for young 'Phantoms' such as Danny. Dani did not find Clockwork so fond, but Danny was certain it was merely a lack of exposure that would correct itself in time. After all Clockwork handled everything in the aftermath of Dani's near de-stabilization and Danny hadn't had to worry about Vlad showing his ugly mug ever since! Danny considered that a win in his book, all things considered.

The sound of a ticking clock drew Danny from his thoughts as he leaned his head back and slowed his flight. He passed by a singular, floating clock as the landscape around him began to darken. Jagged bits of earth and rock formed small pathways that dipped through slight hills into peaks and valleys. Danny drifted over to one that he recognized, marked by a signpost with a night-sky purple clock decorated in little stars that looked vaguely like some sort of art project Danny had made when he was three. He always found it a little odd, but then he chalked it up to something that his parents had accidentally dropped into a natural portal that Clockwork eventually found and took a liking to. It at least served as a decent guidepost to being in the right area of the Zone.

With a twist Danny landed his booted feet upon the path, hiked his travel pack that Jazz had shoved at him a little more centered on his shoulders and began to follow the path on foot. It was rude to fly through another ghost's area of the zone unless you had previous permission, and while Clockwork had long given Danny permission to fly if he needed to, Danny preferred being polite. The first few disastrous meetings of the various denizens of the Zone because of his social faux pax made him more than leery of pissing of a being far more powerful than himself.

The remainder of the walk was rather peaceful as this area of the zone began to darken into something more like twilight, the distant lands looked little more than stars in the night sky. Danny always liked this view of the Zone best, and always found the shift and change from endless green to endless night fascinating. His love of it might have had to do with his love of space, but it wasn't wholly because he once dreamed of being an astronaut. The idea that the various lands in the Zone could be likened to small planets or stars had always appealed to him. The Zone was a lot like Space in that way--vast periods of emptiness, inter spaced with small budding galaxies of landmasses that orbited one another. Of course that implied there was some sort of logic or order to the Zone and there wasn't, but Danny thought the comparison was apt.

In the distance the Clock Tower rose up over the edge of the hill. It stood tall as a skyscraper, but as with most things in the Zone the closer you got the smaller it really appeared. By the time Danny was to reach the front porch the Clock Tower was the size of nothing more than a rather tall and thin house instead of the towering shape it appeared in the distance. Danny tilted his head when the door to the Tower opened and out stepped the rather familiar figure of Grias. The strange Observant-attendant ghost was a weird one, not like the rest of their kind that apparently worked to govern this world in the absence of a caretaker. For one thing Grias was kind, for a given measure of what kind meant.

They wasn't an asshole like the others, Danny amended silently as Grias came to a standstill in front of him. Danny remained quiet and watched as the ghost fidgeted with clawed fingers for a moment before they dipped their head with a short, "Lord Phantom."

Danny put on a smile and waved with a short, "Heya, Grias. 'Sup?" He earned a slightly hesitant fanged grin in response from the ghost before it was wiped away into blankness a second later.

"Forgive me, my Lord," Grias said carefully. "Your time with Clockwork will unfortunately be far more brief than previously hoped."

Danny frowned, fingers tightened on the strap of his backpack. He didn't know what Grias meant; he had no idea how long this entire meeting between him and Clockwork was supposed to go anyway, let alone what Clockwork wanted to tell him about that was so important it had to wait for this day specifically. Cautiously, slowly, Danny drew out a soft, "Okay?" and Grias inclined their head.

"You have four hours, my Lord." Four hours? Danny blinked, surprised at a given length of time for this meeting. There wasn't ever really a time put upon Danny's visits with Clockwork in the past, and if something were to be short Danny would anticipate it at being something closer to thirty minutes and not four hours. If Grias considered that brief Danny wondered how much time Clockwork really wanted to have with him. "After that point I am afraid I cannot keep the news from the Council. I am sorry."

Grias bowed once, and in Danny's stunned silence slipped past him and away. Danny blinked after the other ghost with another, quieter, drawn out, "Okay?" followed by a short, "What the fuck?" because nothing of that interaction made sense. After a second Danny shook his head and decided it didn't matter. He turned, marched up to the Clock Tower's door, and pushed it open with a cheerful call out to its resident.

"Hey, Clockwork!"

Clockwork looked up from where he stood, half bent over his own staff which he grasped tight enough to render his knuckles bone white, and graced Danny with a smile.

"Hello, Daniel."

Yeah, Danny decided as he felt that core in his chest tremble with emotion at the clear fondness from his ghostly mentor, whatever Grias was on about didn't matter.

...

Daniel was a curious and often creative child, Time learned in the years he spent with his gaze on his child. The youngest-oldest of his Endless children was so frighteningly like his third child in many ways that more and more often Time let his gaze drift in the direction of Morpheus. A part of him shattered every time he saw his little dream curled into a ball, ignoring the world around him. A part of him worried about the humans who held onto the drops of Dream's power, who used and abused gifts that were stolen. He may have, silently, tweaked a few bits of timeline in a sense of revenge--aged some, forced others to stay younger...but that was not the point. Time drifted back into the here-now to look at Daniel whose lips were pursed at the bombshell of information Time had just lain at his lap.

You are not alone in this universe, Time had uttered softly. There are seven others just as you are.

"Well I guessed as much," Daniel eventually said into the silence. He peered at Time over his knees and pressed his cheek against the bone there, and Time waited patiently. "I mean...Vlad and Dani exist, right?"

For a long moment, Time stared at his child almost uncomprehendingly. The form of it unfolded beneath his gaze with those simple words--things that Daniel should know but treated as unknowable. Ah, the poor boy feared his nature, didn't he? He kept the knowledge from himself to fit himself into the mold of a human when he wasn't. Time sighed deeply and leaned forward. He placed his hands upon his knees as he looked at Daniel with a narrowed gaze.

"Daniel," Time said, and his voice rumbled in this place with barely constrained power, he knew. This must be delicate; a careful extraction of the truth that Daniel willfully denied as ignorance. "What do you see when you look upon me?"

"An ancient and very powerful ghost," came Daniel's prompt reply, and when Time raised his brow Daniel flushed slightly before he mumbled, "I mean it's easier, isn't it?"

"Is it?"

Time watched as Daniel's brow furrowed, as he tried to think of what Time wanted him to acknowledge, before finally Daniel sighed softly.

"Not always, I guess," Daniel whispered into the air, and his words echoed faintly with something on the edge of his grasp. Daniel looked to him then, eyes a bright teal that overtook even the sclera and pupil. It was like looking into the edge of the aurora borealis, a twist of blues and greens that shimmered almost in the way of galaxies but not quite. A hint toward his cosmic parentage, but evidence toward his own unique nature.

"What do you see, child," Time urged softly, and waited for Daniel to look, to put words into what he truly saw before him. Daniel breathed out slowly, and Time let a smile cross his lips as Daniel looked to him with his nature--with the truth of it in his eyes.

"You are older than ancient," Daniel said slowly, words with that echoey quality to them. "From before a moment when things exist. When there was only darkness, and only time, that stood upon a vastness and an emptiness. You will exist even then, always shifting and moving from one moment to another, to another, to another...." Daniel blinked, and his eyes cleared back into bright green that they took upon this form. "You are Time," he said finally, his voice clear. "All of Time made manifest."

"Yes," Time said, and found himself pleased especially with the wide-eyed, awed way that Daniel now looked to him. It looked as if the child truly saw him for the first time.

"Has your hair always been this red?" Daniel asked, voice suddenly bright as he shifted and dropped his knee down. He leaned forward and grasped at the small bit of braided hair that had fallen from beneath Time's hood.

"When I am this young, yes," Time agreed lightly, smile on his lips.

"Oh," Danny whispered, as his gaze darted to Time's face. "Clock, your eyes...."

Time nodded slowly. "Now, little one, what do you see when you gaze upon yourself?" There is a moment, and then Daniel turned his head to the side for a moment. Time watched as he turned that gaze inwards, and his heart broke a little as the next second Daniel jerked away from him with a stricken expression. "Daniel?" Time asked, leaned forward slowly to place his hand upon one thin shoulder of the teenager before him.

"....I'm not human, am I?" Daniel whispered, and looked at Time with that unfathomably Endless gaze. Time smiled sadly in response. "What...what am I? What are you?"

With the care of a parent, even out of practice as he had been and with only the ability to observe the world around him and rarely to interact with it, Time drew Daniel into an embrace as he spoke in soothing cadence, "You are my son, Daniel, and we are Endless." He stroked a hand down Daniel's back, tried to sooth the teenager whose own truths laid bare before him--they had time to wait until Daniel had processed before Time brought up his siblings once more. There was much they needed to go over, in the moment granted to them. Much Daniel needed to know before--Time closed his eyes and breathed slowly.

It did not matter. None of it mattered in the face of his children.

...

The knowledge that he was something other had always been there, Danny knew. He'd always known in the way that he just knew things and in his boundless curiosity on how each item was put together, the workings behind it. His endless fascination with all things space and expanding--Daniel knew he was different. He and Jazz had spent hours and days just talking about it sometimes. Jazz said he might be something called autistic, or have some other developmental difference that made him just a bit unique compared to everyone else. He might also have been adopted, they speculated, given how vastly different to his parents he looked. He had hair that was as dark as the night sky after all, nothing like Jack's dark brown that bordered on black. His eyes were the complete wrong shape too, and the exact shade of blue was not quite the same as the Fenton's, either.

In the end Danny and Jazz had long concluded it didn't matter because Danny was Jazz's brother and Jazz was Danny's sister and Sam and Tucker were his friends. Even becoming what he was now--not half-ghost, Danny knew that was just a story to tell children, something to clarify the differences between him and the others, to ease the knowledge that Danny was other because Danny was other. Each of his 'powers' could easily be pulled from the reality that he was a child of Time and Night, of cosmic beings older than the universe, older than the oldest of universes by any rights. He had the ability to drift among the Physical because he was Endless, much as apparently the others in this family he didn't know about could. He could be seen if he wanted, or unseen if he didn't, and Danny knew he'd always been able to do that. Had always done that. The invisibility, intangibility, had only been something he'd taken up after the Fenton's various discoveries and his own worry about his nature.

Danny stood on the precipice between different species of being. Humans that he most resembled, that the Endless oft appeared as, and then whatever the Infinite Realms demanded he be. The white, the glow, the 'ghostly abilities' and 'ghostly core' were all aspects that pulled from the Neverborn. They weren't 'ghost's' per se, but manifestations of concepts of events, of common discoveries because the Infinite Realm was an Infinite Realm of Discovery, and it was all Danny's. Every thing discovered or learned and everything lost appeared there in one way or another--and in that way everything in the Realm was Neverborn but not necessarily Ancient like Clockwork--like Time.

It mattered in a way Danny didn't understand, except then Clockwork stood to his feet and offered Danny a hand and spoke in that soft, deep bass of his, that he wanted to show him something important. So Danny accepted the grasp and followed Clockwork down the winding halls of the Tower which grew and shrunk as it was needed. He followed Clockwork with red hair and blue eyes and pale-as-death skin with his core in his throat and his world partially upended. He grasp tight to that hand and felt just the slightest bit unmoored, untethered and so young. Youngest of eight--the idea that Danny had siblings just as strange and different as him made him the slightest bit giddy with everything.

The room Clockwork took Danny to was a bare, blank space filled with colors and small nebulae that resembled the sky untainted by light pollution. Danny gaped at it, spun in a circle as he let go of Clockwork's hand to take in everything. There were columns and pillars that wrapped around the room, and set in the center a series of items placed in a semi-circle.

"Your siblings call such a room their Gallery," Clockwork said softly, and drew Danny's attention over toward where he stood in front of a golden ankh. Danny watched how Clockwork stroked his finger along one of the wristwatches that littered his arms as he looked to it, and gestured Danny to come over. "They've built up rules among themselves, ways to conduct their interactions based upon mine and their mother's opinions of such things, and later to bind themselves as Family when things began to...sour, in our absence."

"Why have you been absent?" Danny asked as he stood next to Clockwork--he tried valiantly to again ignore that Clockwork had called himself their father in all things. He would rather unpack that little bit of information at another time, when he could properly decompress and hopefully have Jazz there to mitigate the freak out that was bound to happen. The freak out that he was barely able to stop right now as it was.

Clockwork looked to Danny then, just a sideways glance as he spoke. "I am old, Daniel. I am ancient."

"Yeah your basically dust," Danny quipped back and then winced as Clockwork blinked at him slowly. "Sorry."

"I am not offended," Clockwork chuckled. "You are not wrong. Cosmic dust I may be, yes, and yet...my children had their duties, a hand in their affairs. They did not..." Clockwork paused, lips pressed together.

"You felt like they didn't need you," Danny said and for the longest moment Clockwork nodded his head.

"It did not help that your mother and I had a bit of...well, that we chose to go our separate ways," Clockwork placed the words delicately out there before he turned from them completely. "As it was they did not need us, now fully formed and conscious of their actions. They had no need to be coddled or cared for any longer." He paused for a moment, stared at the wristwatches on his wrists--and Danny counted eight of them, when he'd thought once there were only seven. "I am always with my children, Daniel, even if they cannot see me. I am always watching."

"Yeah but...but you need them too, right?"

Clockwork looked to Danny with eyes that were so sad that it hurt and Danny wasn't sure what he could do to make it better. He opened his mouth, but Clockwork interrupted softly, "It is more complicated than that, child." When Danny went to counter the statement Clockwork reached out and grasped his hand and tugged him forward. "Here, grasp this."

Danny closed his mouth, breathed through his nose, and then grasped at the golden ankh with a roll of his eyes as Clockwork began to explain the workings of the Gallery. Why the Gallery was in the Clock Tower Danny didn't know, but he bet it was just some weirdness about the Zone and not that this was actually located in the Clock Tower at all. He wondered if anyone in the Zone could find him here, if he found his way to this place. Were the Observants aware of Danny and Clockwork in this space? Were the Observants aware of what Clockwork was? Danny doubted it; he doubted they would bother to try and order around a literal cosmic entity of Time like Clockwork was if they knew.

"Are you listening to me, Daniel?" Clockwork asked, and Danny blinked and then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He thought he heard a sound, faint and in the distance that reminded him of wings, but he did not let himself dwell on it as he replied to Clockwork a bit embarrassed.

"No, sorry. Got lost in my thoughts."

"Be careful with that; ones thoughts can be a dangerous place to wander off alone in after all!"

Danny whipped around, surprised enough to drop the ankh in his hand as it clattered to the ground. He did not miss the wince that crossed the woman's face in front of him, the ways she glanced to the ankh and then to Clockwork before finally her gaze landed on Danny. Her lips tugged up into a wide grin, and she seemed for a moment as if she would open her arms before she thought better of it.

"Felt you holding on to that for a while without saying anything and figured I should stop by and see what was what," she said brightly.

Danny looked down to the ankh, and then scrambled to pick it up and place it back on its pedestal with a faint blush and a mumbled, "Sorry."

"It's alright, little brother," Death said with a soft smile. "I'm not busy at the moment." She glanced once more to Clockwork with a raised brow, and Clockwork peered back at her from beneath the hood of his cloak. "Got to say I'm surprised to see you here, father."

Danny looked down and mumbled, "He was showing me this place."

Death arched an eyebrow. "Was he?" For a moment Danny could almost taste the way the air got tense, and then Death stepped forward and smiled reassuringly at Danny and said, "Well then, what has he told you about this place?"

Danny blinked at her, and then looked to each of the pedestals. "This is a...Gallery. A way to contact...contact my siblings." He stumbled over that, calling them siblings because while that is what they were, Danny was still new to the concept of it.

"Yes," Death agreed. "Did he tell you of the rules?"

Clockwork shifted, and then wrapped his arm around Danny's shoulders. Danny could feel the edge of his cloak brush past his knees and almost touch Death with the motion. "I had not gotten that far before you interrupted, daughter."

Death snorted. "Of course not." She righted her own sigil, and Danny watched her do so as she began to speak and explain the rules to him softly. "We are not allowed to interfere in each others business. It helps keep the peace between our sphere's of influence, you know? I wouldn't want Destiny to mess around with the souls I lead to the Sunless Lands, just as I am sure Destiny would not want me to meddle in his affairs, either."

Danny blinked, said cautiously, "Destiny?" and Death smiled at him in response as she gestured to the book on the first pedestal.

"Destiny's sigil," Death said softly. "It leads to his own Realm, The Garden of Forking Ways. Destiny, Potmos, tends to be rather solitary." Death moved on to the ankh. "This is mine, and leads to the Sunless Lands. I am Death, or Teleute," here Teleute winked and Danny flushed faintly even as his eyes widened in realization of her Function. She moved on to the next, a strange mask as she gestured and spoke. "This is my younger brother, your older brother, Dream's sigil. It leads to the Dreaming." She lingered here, and Danny watched her curious before she moved on to the next sigil, a sword, which Death stared at for a long lingered moment before she only said it belonged to Destruction and then moved on.

Following the sword was a glass heart that belonged to Desire, leading to The Threshold. After that was a hooked ring for Despair and a place called The Gray Realm. A swirl of colors apparently belonged to his older sister Delirium and a location known as Madness. Danny took all of this in for the moment before Death looked him up and down and then rocked back on her heels. Clockwork still stood at his back, hand upon his shoulder as a comforting presence in the middle of all of this new knowledge about his life.

"What about you, little brother?" Death asked, and Danny looked up at her in surprise. "I've talked about each of us," and she had, even if she glossed over Destruction rather quickly, "so tell me a bit about you and this place of yours." She smiled reassuringly at him, and Danny scuffed his feet for a moment before he looked to Clockwork who nodded slowly in response.

"I'm..." Danny breathed out slowly and then straightened his back as he looked at Death and said, "I am Discovery, and this is the Infinite Realm."

Death smiled even wider, and with a soft laugh wrapped Danny into a hug as she said, "Welcome to the family, little brother." Hesitantly, surprised at the action, Danny wrapped his own arms back around Death in a hug, and then let a small smile cross his face as his core hummed, rather pleased with the acknowledgement of family.

...

It was hours later, after Death had finished explaining the Rules that she and the others had put together to keep things civil--hours of wandering out of the Gallery and back into the Clock Tower which had left Death a bit surprised by all the time related items here, and then the admission from Clockwork, Time--which Danny was still processing that little revelation--himself that he had been in this Realm for some time now--settled into it, was well known to it--that had resulted in a rather flinty eyed gaze from his--his older sister. Teleute, as she whispered to call him if he felt more comfortable--

"Call me Danny, then. Or Phantom when I'm....like this. Uhm. Unless you prefer Discovery?"

"Any of them is fine, little brother, but what do you mean by 'like this'?"

--and then she made her excuses, that she had some work to do, but she told him not to be a stranger and if he needed help to always ask. The worst she could do was tell him she was too busy in the moment, but she promised if it was dire she would be there. Danny didn't miss the way Clockwork's lips pursed at that, or miss the way Teleute's breath hitched when Danny and switched from being 'Ghost' to 'Human' and that she mouthed a name that made his chest ache. Perhaps it was part of his 'Function' to notice the little things, to put together the secrets that were otherwise attempted to be kept from him. At any rate once she was gone he turned to Clockwork--to Time--who stared at him patiently and waited.

"What was she not telling me?" Danny turned and asked Clockwork, once she was gone. "About...about Destruction and Dream?"

Clockwork sighed heavily, and then gestured for Danny to follow him. They went from the Gallery to the Room of Windows which was an area that opened up viewing portals to various points in time. Danny had been there before, when Clockwork had punted him into the future to learn about--about himself, he supposed. He wondered now about the evil future him, Dan, and how he had been twisted in such a way as to be that.

"Your brother Destruction," Clockwork spoke softly, "grew rather tired of his Function and decided he wanted control of it no longer. So he left, and cut off ties to rest of the family."

"But...but destruction is necessary," Danny frowned. "Without it creation can't exist."

"And I am sure you can see that both exist well and good without your brother actively working," Clockwork pointed out with a small smile, and Danny nodded with a furrowed brow. "Destruction did not truly leave his post, merely....stopped placing his hand in things. There have been consequences, but not near so dire as there could have been."

One of the Windows showed a red haired man in some sort of art class working on a sculpture. Danny blinked and then looked to Clockwork who winked at him for a moment before that Window closed out.

"As for Dream..." Clockwork's lips thinned and he nodded toward another of the Windows. Danny turned to look, and then all of him froze. He felt his core stutter in his chest--felt the burning ache of anger began to boil somewhere deep within him. It was a rage he was familiar with, one he felt when Jazz had been hurt by an ex-boyfriend of hers years and years ago. He clenched his hands into fists as he stared at a dark haired, blue eyed, naked man in a fishbowl. He couldn't articulate himself, just looked to Clockwork whose gaze was focused on the Window and so--sad.

"Your brother has been trapped in this way since the early twentieth century," Clockwork spoke softly. "This has had...consequences, upon the Physical." He motioned toward another Window, a pair of Windows actually set beside each other. One was of a vibrant, almost fantastical land--the other that same land in ruins. "And it has had consequences upon the Dreaming, as well."

Danny swallowed heavily, and then asked, "Why has no one helped him?" almost hoarsely.

Clockwork looked at him, for a long inscrutable moment, and then said, "Because he has not asked," and Danny blinked because--right, the Rules that Death had told him about. The stupid agreements between the siblings. Danny crossed his arms and scowled back.

"Could he ask?" Danny demanded, wanted to know if this older brother of his was stupid enough not to ask for help when he needed it.

"No," Clockwork agreed, and then Danny nodded once, sharply.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get him out!"

Clockwork smiled, a slow and sad thing and Danny didn't know what this smile meant except that it made his core curl and twist uncomfortably. It wasn't reassuring, but it also wasn't terrifying. Yet Clockwork still nodded slowly to Danny's request--his demand--and with a twist of the hands of a clock a portal opened for them to step through. Before Danny did so Clockwork placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"Stay out of sight," Clockwork said softly. "Do you understand?" For a moment Danny said nothing, then nodded once and slipped into that spectrum of space between that was Invisibility and Intangibility--a step toward Oblivion. Then, both of them stepped through the portal and into the basement of the Burgess Estate in Wych Cross.

[ellitx]

Twig | Albedo x Reader

the final act of TWMA part 1 part 2 

can be stand-alone

disclaimer: this is written before v1.2 so my interpretation of albedo’s story and lore is not accurate. these are just my assumptions and understanding that i based on each characters’ voicelines about him

word count: 3.4k

            Something felt odd. What in the world happened…?

            The male awoke from an unfamiliar scent that drifted through his nose. Likewise, he has woken up from a restless sleep due to the rough waves, to glimpse at the glowing and radiant sun peaking above the horizon out of the window. It extended its vivid light across the deep blue sky. 

            Its dazzling and inviting rays flowed through the window providing warmth to his body. Slowly the fatigue of the endless dreams was seeped out of him as the warm light trickled into replacing his unrest— it eased his body.

            His mind meandered aimlessly into nothingness, continuously staring at the beige wall painted around the room.

            He is aware when he is forgetting when there is something close yet hidden, yet he cannot at that moment fathom what it could be. It’s as if he was following a bread crumb trail and it ends, so he stopped. 

            It gives him ideas as to what is missing from his brain because if one always got stopped when traveling, you would know that there are blocks in your way preventing you from continuing any further— even if he has no clue to as what they are. 

            A peal of melodic laughter that is mirthful and playful then reached his ears, stopping him from his dreaming. Albedo turned his head to the source of the voice and saw a girl— that was around his age— chuckling as she held a tray in her hands.

            “You’re finally awake.” She brought down the platter on the table next to him and poured a cup of tea. His visage frowned and tightly gripped the blanket that was tucked to him. 

            Why did he felt that she was mocking him? He doesn’t know why but for some reason it did irk him. He forgot about his memories. He doesn’t have the slightest clue as to where he was and why he was here.

            “Here.” She gave him the cup and patiently waited for him to take it. So this is where the foreign scent was coming from. He thought to himself.

             The smell was fragrant but had a tinge of spiciness in it. It made his nose crinkled but accepted it nonetheless— quite hesitant, as the girl observed. Taking a small sip of the tea, it surprised him that it tasted sweet. It was quite unexpected because of the tangy fragrance it gave off.

            “You look so lost.”

            The laugh came from her like a newly sprung leak— sheepish at first, stopping and starting. She wasn’t done yet though, he could tell from the way she turned her head and half-bit her lip. From deep inside her chest came a great shaking motion and her muscle face grew tight.

            His eyebrows arched as he put down the cup on the tray, waiting. In moments this female’s laugh was more like a burst water main arching into the brilliant summer sky, soaking everyone around her with unrestrained gales that deliberated her to nonstop giggles and picked face picture of glee.

            Albedo wanted to stay straight-faced and walk out the room— she was, after all, laughing “at him”, not “with him”. But before he could stop himself, his poker mouth twitched upwards, and was smiling despite himself.

             Nevertheless, he didn’t hate it.

—

             On the next day, she was already bombarding him with questions. 

            “Hey, hey, what was that thing you just did? That was my sister’s research she’s been working hard for and you’ve already solved it?!” [Eye color] optics sparkled in awe and admiration as [Name] gazed at him from her side.

            He peered into her eyes and nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, continuing to read the texts of the book she gave him. “It was a minor mistake she had done. I’ve read some pieces of information about that topic and was not expecting I would stumble upon it.”

            She puckered her lips and pouted as she snatched the codex from his hands. His answer was so vague! It didn’t really satisfy her curiosity about this outlander. “Hey!” 

            The female raised her arms, preventing him from reaching it. “I won’t give this back to you until you tell me the whole story!” Albedo’s brows folded in confusion and struggled to grab it. “That is the whole story.”

            Her cheeks puffed and watched him yanked the book from her. It was disappointing, to say the least how he easily took it. 

            Sighing countless times already made him question himself why this girl still insists on staying by his side. It’s not like he didn’t like it nor does he like it, it just raised him so many questions about what happened yesterday.

            Why would the Knights took him in considering how [Name] just effortlessly helped him out of nowhere. Not to mention how he barely knows a single thing about Mondstadt. It made him indignant how he can’t remember even the slightest thing.

            He doesn’t blame anyone for it. It’s no one’s fault that he lost his memories.

            Just thinking about this bizarre occurrence that just magically appeared out of nowhere made his head ached. Though the tug on his arm caught his attention and looked at the young teen in puzzlement as they started to march off to archon knows where.

            “Maybe I should tell Grandmaster Varka about this…” She softly muttered to herself. He caught her words perfectly and so further press a question to pique his interest. “Tell about what?”

            Both of them slowed down and paused in their tracks, stopping midway near the fountain area. [Name] chuckled and winked at him playfully. 

            “You’ll see.”

            Albedo hummed and looked fixedly on the back of her head as they continued to walk silently. 

              There was a delicious moment where his face washed blank with confusion, like his brain cogs couldn’t turn fast enough to take in the information from his wide eyes. It made [Name] stifle a laugh at the expression he was currently showing to all the members of Ordo Favonius.

            Every muscle of the male’s body just froze before he looked away from them to the girl who stood beside him. A grin crept up onto her face, it soon stretched out from one side to the other showing every single tooth.

            Surprise isn’t an emotion he’d ever taken well. He could tell himself he was at loss for words. He guessed he found himself dumb, in a sense that made his lexeme stopped flowing. Stopped because she has shown him a new direction he never anticipated for a moment.

            Every member knows she had saved him— saved him from what though? That he did not know, he never asked her about it nor did she even tell him what happened to him. He just let it be.

            Receiving the news that he’ll be a member of the Knights, to have the position as the Chief Alchemist, really made him bewildered and surprised.

            “Isn’t this happening too fast?” He questioned whilst quirking a brow.

            “Hm? What do you mean?” [Name] tipped her head as her eyes stared at his own turquoise ones.

            “Why is everyone easily agreeing to it? I’ve only been here for a day and just assisted your sister in translating. I appreciate the thought that the Grandmaster here is giving me the position of Chief Alchemist but I can't help but question why.”

            She glanced at him, her mouth pursed but slightly open and loose. Her eyes are fixed as if she’s looking at something a yard behind his head. He called her name to garner her attention.

            She blinks, refocused. “Albedo, it’s actually been five days. Lisa talked to everyone about how genius you are.”

            Now it was his turn to owlishly blink. Five days? Does time really move that fast?

            Well, he did hear the saying that time flies fast when you’re having fun. He never noticed about it and now that the idea battered him, it continued to linger inside his head.

             What happened yesterday, what happened today, everything still feels the same. Even if the fragment of memories within him seemed to etiolate. His hands clawed his chest, feeling the unusual warmth from it and throughout his body.

            Everything has been important to him and will be important to him.

            He knows that these distant memories seem so far and vague but are significant to him.

            He doesn’t understand the reason why, but he shouldn’t forget.

             At least that’s how he thinks things should be.

  —

             The sound of the ticking grandfather clock echoed throughout the silent room. It sounded so monotonous and lifeless inside. The tall and antiquated object stood there as the gateway for old-man time, the golden pendulum making its steady way back and forth.

            The silence was so eerie, though none minded at all as two teenagers were fast asleep, still remaining inside their dreams. 

            An aroma Albedo has gotten used to woke him up. It’s the smell of the herbs and various flowers that have mixed together giving off a sweet and minty scent. He opened his eyes and stayed like that for a few minutes.

            The alchemist tiredly glanced down to see the papers are now messed and scattered all over the table. Heaving a sigh as he raked his fingers through his hair, his aqua optics went on to the female’s sleeping body that rested on his lab’s bed.

            She still hasn't woken up.

            He stood up from his seat and quietly approached her unconscious form to check on her condition. [Name]’s features were much softer in sleep, the lines that usually creased her brow replaced by youthful appearance giving off a child-like look. 

            She looked peaceful, he thought to himself.

            He pulled up the blanket over her shoulders and turned around to continue making remedies for her once she’s awake. 

            The Knights of Favonius were worried sick about her, especially her sister, Lisa. They were hoping and praying to the Seven she’ll wake up from her coma. They all miss her presence, days of not seeing her wandering around also worried the townsfolk of Mond.

            She has been cooped up inside his room while Sucrose and Noelle assisted him in taking care of her. 

            The morning dusk is about to arrive and Albedo has to continue doing his research nonstop. He does so wished to see her [eye color] orbs finally open after the incident. It hurt him to know [Name] has been like this that he did not even realize until the Acting Grandmaster and her sister told him about it.

            He stared at the small plant that was placed on the windowsill. Its leaves started to fall off from its branches as it slowly started to wilt in the darkness. He grabbed the small twig and observed the faintest of light it gives off.

            Would it hurt to say that it reminded him of her? 

            [Name] is someone that has to be taken care of carefully. After all, when she saw what he had written about her condition, she didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to say that her “friend” was just a fragment of her imagination without affecting her mental state.

            He hovered his hand over the small branch, watching it bloom before his eyes with ease. He placed it back in the vase and returned to the table. If only he could easily return her back just like how he did with the plant.

            Return her from his arms again instead of that bard.

            He let out a bitter laugh at that thought. This was his fault. Why would she come back running to him if he did not even once give her his time? When they’ve finally met again for so long, she was avoiding his eyes.

            It hurt him, he won’t lie about that. Her welcome to him was just a simple nod and that’s it. No hugs, no welcomes, not even a small smile was given to him.

            If he did stop his research and at least spend time with her, will everything change?

            Albedo shook his head as the answer to himself. Even if it is, why would he still continue hoping and thinking about these things? Sometimes his formulation of the rationale of real-life situations irked him. 

            This isn’t alchemy, genius.

            His self-feud stopped when he saw her fingers moved the slightest from his peripheral vision. His heart fluttered and gave him a bit of hope if the archons had finally heard their wishes. 

            When her eyelids flickered open, the sight was not what he was expecting. 

                      A lone tear trickled down her cheek. Her lips quivered and continued to look at the distance. Out of complete silence, her soft cries arose. He’d never seen [Name] sat like that, so deflated. Her loose shoulders shook, her hands hanging low, making no attempt to conceal or even wipe her own tears.

            All of these emotions coming to him at once hurt him.

             His head throbbed and let the feeling of guilt crush him.

  —

             The giggle rolled around the room like a child’s spinning top, vibrant and heartwarming as it moved around the people in its chaotic ways. It came in its fits and bursts— loud to soft to nothing at all and back to loud again. 

            It was as if there was an invisible feather at [Name]’s nape brushing softly; she squirmed and raised her shoulders to block Barbara from tickling her neck. The laughter built up inside her like so much water behind a dam, making her shoulders and her belly hurt.

            She cried when Klee jumped onto her body and joined in with the deaconess. Their carefree and playful tittering reached Albedo’s ears when he entered the room. Their eyes darted towards him as their laughs died down.

            The Spark Knight ran towards him and hugged his legs, overjoyed in seeing the alchemist here. He knelt down to her height and patted her head as a smile slowly crept up to his face.

            [Name]’s laugh caught his attention again, though he did not dare to look at the two females. As much as he tried to focus on listening to Klee’s words, he cannot help but listen to the former’s gentle hilarity. 

             For some reason, it made his chest wrenched every time he listens to it. He wondered why that is when it’s something he remembers all the time. 

  --

             He recalled the day he got his Vision. It appeared out of thin air on his desk and she was the first one to point it out. It surprised [Name] why he had gotten Geo instead of Dendro. She watched him fiddle the trinket in his hands as he continued to analyze it. 

            He didn’t really mind whichever Vision he got. As long as he can continue doing his research then it’s fine with him.

            He didn’t know why he found himself laughing so hard, but all of a sudden, he couldn’t stop. His breath came in quick gasps between his unstoppable tittering. Tears gathered in the corner of his eyes, threatening to spill over.

            She was confused about why he was laughing all of a sudden worrying her. He waved his hand dismissively and pointed out the expression that was currently painted on her face. Her face reddened and slapped his back jokingly.

            After their short playful bickering, the Chief Alchemist plucked a small branch from a plant and hand it over to her. 

            “Visions are gifts given to us by the Gods. Think of it like this sprig, there are many possibilities which among the elements they’ll receive yet no one knows what they’ll end up with until they’ve received it.”

            She furrowed her brows as her brain cogs continue to process what he meant. It finally dawned on her what he meant and hummed. “But not everyone can receive Visions, though.” She remarked.

            “Exactly. They may not bear fruits or maybe yet, one day it’ll come to them.”

            “That’s not what I meant.”

            “Then what is it?”

            [Name] sighed and rested her chin on her palm. “Not everyone is blessed by the Seven.” The male was still and quiet. 

            “Well, I’m no god. I may not know how they give out Visions but it sure is something remarkable, isn’t it?” Her eyes lightened up and nodded vigorously.

            “Right?! Wouldn’t it be better if they just give it to everyone?” Albedo laughed and admired her own exclamation. 

            “Perhaps.” 

            It surprised the female teen that he just suddenly grabbed her hand unnoticed. He observed how small her hands are compared to his. He placed the twig on her palm and with a simple motion of his wrist, the branches started to grow as small leaves then sprouted from it.

            It occurred to her just how amazing Albedo is. She raised the small branch in the air and examine the faintest glow of the leaves it emitted. She gasped and stared with wide eyes as isotoma flowers started to bloom from the ends.

            “W-was that suppose to happen?” She turned her head to him and pushed her arms forward to show the herb to him.

            He bobbed his head and took out a pot filled with soil. He used his elemental skill on it and a cecilia shaped flower appeared. Instead of the usual vibrant white, it almost looked too rigid and rocky.

            [Name] poked it and it really was sturdy. He asked her if she can use her own elemental skill, to which she responded with a yes. She twirled her hand and he can feel the air starting to get cold.

            Small snowflakes started to form and dropped down on the pot. Once the snow made contact with the rocky flower, it formed into a crystal and bloomed into a refreshing and spirited cecilia.

            It felt like a real flower instead of the stony one they just saw. The alchemist plucked it and carefully tucked it to her ear, adoring how well it donned her appearance and perfectly captured her delicacy.

             Cecilias really does suit her.

             That day, the day he only showed it to her. It’s the memoir he cherished the most. It’s the only special memory he couldn’t forget.

            He understood why. He keeps thinking of her.

            All these mnemonics with [Name] are important to him and are everything to him.

            And on that day, he believed she wouldn’t leave.

 —

             A smell of a nostalgic sweet breeze wafted in him. The winds kissed his skin making him wish to go back to sleep, yet the sound of familiar laughter was what made him want to open his eyes.

            He recognized those sweet mirths. It’s so close to him that he can feel the figure’s shakiness. The tree’s shadow helped him not to be blinded by the rays of the sun and the gales that caressed his skin were so calming, but his focus was purely glued to a smile.

            Her smile.

            He still waited for the day when he can show the small beauties of life to someone, but there are no fools like him in this vast world. Perhaps they exist, yet they must be distant, enjoying the same sky with other eyes yet the same thought. 

            The whistling of the birds that awaken their sleep in the trees, letting his perception be painted with white, yellow, and blue. It battered him that he was currently laying on her lap.

            So shall it stay put, a smile eternally stained upon her lips. Her joy, her love, her laughter, her cheer. All will reach the ears of those who have forgotten the warmth of such harmonies.

            Emotions came to his mind like the waves meeting the land. They come to him, soaking his entire being and helped him to understand his entire self better. He felt wet hot tears filled up his eyes.

            But this was no tears of grief. 

            It was tears of joy that he has finally heard her laugh once again. Much closer than before. The distance with them has now shortened. Is this the archons saying they’ll give him another chance?

            If it is, he’s very thankful to the Celestia and to the Seven. He was so happy that all he can do is cry and let the tears continuously fall down his cheeks. The tears stained his face but he didn’t care if it did.

            Albedo was just so ecstatic he finally got to reunite with her. He can finally hold her in his arms and apologize for the mistake he has done to her. He missed her so much that he can’t bear the pain anymore of how distant they are.

             And so he promised himself he won’t ever forget her.

 this oneshot is based on this song   

[fromsiberia]

Everything's Fine

...or not

by @fromsiberia for @lbigreyhound13 

Raiting: Teen And Up Audiences

Genre: humor, angst with a happy ending

Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, May Parker, Stephen Strange, others

Summary: Everything was fine in Peter's life. MidTown High, Stark Tower, tinkering in the lab with Tony, chilling on the couch with May, fighting a criminal or two in the evenings... Until May started to lose her memories. "Where is Ben?" is not an easy question to answer. And then everything went downhill from here.

My most warm gratitude for @mellarkandart who made it readable and understandable.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35748280/chapters/89141155

Chapter 1:

It had started just fine (though a little boring) when Peter had come home from Ned’s to try to convince May that he didn’t need to go to Stark Tower for the end of the weekend. He could be Spider-Man right here and help May with her sprained wrist.

Ugh, no luck with that.

“I called him Lucky,” said May proudly.

“It’s a very boring name.”

The cat that had been sleeping on the couch snored loudly, twitching his back leg in the process. May’s face blossomed in a goofy smile.

“Well, he is lucky! And if you don’t like that name, try something better.”

Huh. The cat wasn’t black, and it was Saturday, not Friday, but still.

“Mark-13?”

“Your name is Lucky,” May informed the sleeping cat. Peter sighed.

“Are you sure the landlord will let us keep him?”

“Of course he will!* I’ve asked him already and he told me that we could get as many pets as we want. It’s strange, he has changed so much recently. It’s like he’s become a totally different person…” May hummed as if she got an idea, but swiftly returned to the topic – and her “aww” smile.

That meant that Lucky was staying. Peter eyed him suspiciously because it was his job as an almost-soon-to-be Avenger to be suspicious, even to the simplest of cats. Slim, snoring, totally normal striped cats with dark toe-beans and pink noses. And Peter’s spider-sense was uneasy too, nothing in particular, nothing urgent, only the distant promise of pain and suffering… Oh.

“You’ve just found him, right? What if he has fleas, or – or ticks, or something even worse?”

May’s brightness faded a little.

“He looks so healthy, I didn’t think of any of that... Could you go out and buy an anti-flea shampoo, and maybe some vermicides pills?”

“Yeah,” Peter sighed, “sure. And while I’m buying this and also cat food, can you keep yourself from cooking for him?”

“Hey!”

“What? Your hand is hurt, the doctor said you shouldn’t put any pressure on it!”

“So sassy,” May said, looking at him affectionately. “I’ve raised you well.”

Lucky stretched and strained up in his sleep, showing roundish pointed claws, dark-pearl colored in their pink holders.

“We’ll need shampoo, pills, food, and an Iron Man metal suit,” May decided. “Yours looks too thin.”

“It’s not,” murmured Peter. “Mr. Stark made it.”

Don’t get him wrong, Peter liked cats. Peter even loved cats, though not as much as May did. But when he was a child he had a severe allergy preventing his family from even looking at them as strays or in pet shops, and then, when the allergy passed just like all of his other health conditions had… By then they had different problems.

He should have been happy for May, really. With her new work, they could afford a cat, and this one looked nice. He hadn’t bit Peter even once and had immediately understood the idea of the litter box. For three weeks, Lucky watched TV with May, slept on her pillow, tried to dig his claws into everything she’d cooked for him, showing his preferences for the tasty smelling canned food (and Peter’s ice-cream), and every now and then tried to get into Peter’s backpack. Not to Midtown High, never, only when Peter was heading to Stark Tower…

Strange cat, Peter decided, shaking him out on the floor and ignoring the annoyed meowing. He should talk to Tony about it.

***

“Fur!” Tony proclaimed, entering the kitchen where Peter was thinking if he wanted a dozen fried eggs or one and a half. “There was cat fur on my Armani suit – and – a – whisker!”

Peter examined said whisker trying hard not to laugh, especially considering Tony’s facial expression.

“FRIDAY has made an investigation and it showed that the fur came from you when you hugged me this morning,” he sighed with a perfectly tragic expression.

“Peter. My dear unpaid intern. Do you know that you can tell me everything? That whatever shit happens in your life you can come to me?”

Peter nodded eagerly and Tony pretty dramatically put a hand on his shoulder.

“So why didn’t you?”

“Why?” Peter got interested himself. And two dozen it will be because sometimes he really needed the calories to deal with his favorite mentor.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were bitten by a radioactive cat and became…”

“Mr. Stark, please, no. Don’t say it…”

“…a Catman”

Peter winced.

“You deserved it. I had a meeting with Ross, and guess who has an allergy? I had to listen to him sneezing about 120 times per minute while telling me that Strange is dealing with some low-level mage and while he is at that, we are dealing with Wong. Nothing important apart from my new shaggy suit. So. Where did you find a cat and why am I covered with its fur?”

“It’s May’s fault! She’s got a cat, Lucky, at least, she claims so.”

His eyes when he looked at Tony were full of grief and deep, deep sadness.

“I understand everything, Mr. Stark. I won’t hug you anymore. Never again. I promise.”

For a few seconds, they were glaring at each other, until Tony smiled at him.

“Come here, Underoos.”

Yeah. Everything was just fine.

***

…Except for History. Humans’ history is quirky in general. When you were the one creating it things could be pretty interesting, sure, but when you were studying it in high school – now, that’s another story. Peter honestly thought he would prefer another fight with Doctor Doom to this test**.

“That’s crazy!” Ned said during lunch break. “How did you forget about the history test? Everyone was talking about it for the whole month! Oh shit, no, you’ve been into something cool and never told me about it? I thought we were friends!”

Flash was nearby already. Peter suspected that he had his own superpower to appear in the places no one needed him to.

“Lying again, Penis? You know it won’t save your grades. What’s up now, Bruce Banner asked for your help?”

Huh. Superpower indeed.

“Actually, yes,” Peter said. “Will you help me?”

Never waiting for an answer he fished out from his backpack some battered-looking piece of paper with who knows what printed on one side and a few strings of words and symbols written with the compact Bruce’s handwriting on the other.

“Thank you, Flash, bye-bye!”

It worked. Flash hadn’t bothered him – bothered anyone - for two weeks now. He got thinner, with the bags under his eyes, always reading something on his phone or in the book… Peter could say the name of the last one was in Latin.

But he had more urgent problems on his hands. Like the never-ending murmuring of his Spider-sense.

But everything was still fine.

“You can tell me, you know.”

Ned immediately grew suspicious. “Tell you what?”

“About the party! Who else would be there? You and MJ for sure, maybe Betty and Rob, Flash if Betty’ll manage to tear him off from the books. Tony couldn’t make it, he’s in India, some monkey called me yesterday from his phone, stole it maybe… So. Who else?”

“What party?”

“My birthday party,” explained Peter, very patiently. “My birthday is today, you know.”

“Yes! I have a present for you!”

“Exactly.” Peter pointed at it. “I have a birthday, but May didn’t say a word about it in the morning. That can only mean that she’s up to something!”

“Um. Peter, she told me nothing.”

“Me too.” Spokes MJ from her desk. “Flash, do you know anything?”

“Get lost.” Muttered Flash from behind another Latin book.

Oh.

May couldn’t forget about his birthday, right? Right. Maybe she was preparing some surprise at home...

Peter straightened. Why did May stay at home if she had a shift that day?

Suddenly he felt very uneasy.

“Miss Lakes, I’m sorry, I have to go!”

“Mr. Parker…” the teacher had started, but he was already in the hall.

“He doesn’t feel so good,” Ned explained helpfully.

“Well then,” Miss Lakes sighed, “Let’s hope he’ll be better soon. Now, Mr. Thompson, could you please put away your book and give some of your attention to the lesson?”

Flash answered in Latin.

***

Peter was swinging to Queens as fast as he could. Spider-sense was screaming at him, but the worst thing was that he had no idea what it was about. May had looked good. She talked just fine!

“May! Are you here?” Peter shouted, flying into his room and heading straight to the living space. Where May was. Sitting on the couch with a cat in her lap. Looking fine.

“Oh God, Peter!” She looked at him and jerked, her hand flew to her mouth. “You are… What?”

She stood up.

“Are you Spider-Man?”

Peter suddenly lost all the words. May blinked.

“Peter... Does Ben know?”

_______________________________________________________

*He would. After Happy Hogan (with the full approval of Tony Stark) talked to him one day, he would allow anything to these particular tenants.

**Doom was still exploring the idea of enticing Spider-man on his side with donuts.

[year2000electronics]

Tumblr's being weird and won't let me find the Dark Moon rewrite post. I think there was one where you explained the story behind it, at least?

I JUST HAVENT MADE A FULL POST ON IT IM SORRYYYY but i can do bullet points of what’s going down

- so basically this kinda comes from a place of me like. liking dark moon but wishing it had more Characters. so it started with making boss ghosts and then kinda escalated

- so the plot is luigi is looking for e gadd after he went missing in a place near the mansion called evershade valley, unfortunately along the way we see a flash of lightning, a scream, and then cut to darkness

- it fades back in and it’s revealed that luigi is now... a GHOST!! oh no! (this would be the main ‘gimmick’ of the game like how mansion 3 had gooigi as a big selling point)

- he realizes he’s in a lab and he’s been captured by a ghost researcher named professor evershade who said his ghostly dna seemed different somehow so he wanted to see more

- luigi explains the situation and asks if he can help him contact e gadd but all lines to him are dead- evershade theorizes that he must have been taken by the same spectre that turned luigi into a ghost, and luigi immediately goes ‘KING BOO....’ bc who else does he have beef with.

- evershade suggests that if they defeat the four rulers of the nearby mansions they can assemble the dark moon, an artifact that will make sure no ghost will be able to cause their own mischief again

- luigi agrees, and in the meantime evershade says he can try to work on a way to see if he can change luigi back from a ghost

- he uses the same teleportation device e gadd does in dark moon to get luigi in and out of evershades lab, and luigi usually winds up in the small garden which leads to the four mansions

- (meta talk here- the multiple mansion exploring and evershades appearance are meant to kinda trick the player into thinking that it’s a ‘different character same purpose’ scenario, like how both goombario and goombella are tattling goombas)

- (you also get access to regular luigi after clearing one or two rooms in the first mansion- this serves as a bit of a tutorial segment for ghost luigis abilities and how youll be able to switch between ghost luigi and regular luigi to accomplish different tasks)

- ghost luigi probably has the power of a portrait ghost himself, so would have abilities such as the ability to scare other ghosts into fleeing a room or scaring them into doing stuff for him (which would serve as both a puzzle solution and a short-term solution for any segments where you may be stuck as ghost luigi), there are also other abilities like passing through walls (but most new rooms will be VERY dark so it would be hard to suss out details), spectral wind, etc. regular luigi is the one able to catch ghosts though, and regular and ghost forms will often interact in puzzles like a slightly less co-op based luigi and gooigi system

- the first mansion, gloomy manor, is a pretty standard mansion, it’s very old and filled w cobwebs. the boss is a spider-themed ghost, madame moufette. she says the mansions been lost to time and now only the spiders and ghosts live there

- the second mansion, haunted towers, is... actually only a one floor lobby. it’s only when you take the elevator that you realize the entire building is underground and it leads you to a literal icy bunker where an arctic ghost, macready, has spent ages under the bunker and is convinced that a light wielding beast is hunting him down

- the third mansion, treacherous mansion, is a house of illusion, led by a chess-playing ghost named rook. there are stuff like portals, tv static, living suits of armour, the like. rook’s message to luigi is that not everything is as it seems in evershade valley

- luigi comes back from treacherous mansion and gives evershade the third piece of the dark moon, which is when evershade reveals he had the fourth piece of the dark moon all along- and. here’s where things get fucky wucky i’m so sorry

- evershade lifts his goggles and takes off his hat and reveals that HE’S luigi from the future. after the events of mansion 1, luigi eventually decided to become an apprentice to e gadd and became a full time ghost researcher. things don’t seem so different at first but unfortunately e gadd game-overs and so luigi is left all on his own. which is a bummer. with his mentor gone luigi throws himself into his work, neglecting going on adventures with mario to a point that he just stops getting invited... (took mario a VERY long time to stop asking though. make no mistake) over time he becomes a bit of a recluse and his curious and observant nature kinda becomes a hunger for knowledge... he wants to know just what the strange and unusual is and what makes it tick. he also starts using professor evershade as a pen name bc ‘dr mario’ gets people asking about his research for the wrong reasons. though not only does he become more curious but he gets very very bored. ghosts are just poltergeists, tricksters... they’re nothing without a leader. luigi tries to bring back king boo, he invents all sorts of things to try- but the one thing the professor did that he didn’t was invent that damn portrait machine (which has rusted and broken with time- it’s been like, 20-25 years at this point).

- basically, what starts out as ‘i need to bring king boo back so i can have a proper rogues gallery of ghosts to study’ turns into ‘i need to bring king boo back but why would i even defeat him? this is great for paranormal studies’ so yeah. now evershade would like to see the ghost world at its fullest power

- he time travelled back to the past to try and convince e gadd to free king boo (yes he made a time machine hashtag smart) but e gadd fights back, destroying the portrait machine he built. evershade is Angry about this and decides if he won’t help him... perhaps someone else will. his ‘time machine’ is actually a large building that affects all of evershade valley, so it, how it was 20 years into the future, was brought into the past. his backup plan was to trap luigi in evershade valley by turning him into a ghost and making him collect the dark moon shards that he had always wanted but couldn’t get (his ghost researching skills are fine but his ghost hunting skills are out of shape. he could have done that in the first place but he kinda wanted to see his old mentor again.)

- the dark moon itself is an artifact split into four parts bc its effect on ghosts is too much to stand, even for ghosts- it’d give whoever owns it absolute power over the paranormal world and its residents, so the four mansion ghosts have taken it upon themselves to protect them (evershades original plan also involved teaming up with king boo to defeat the ghosts and take the dark moon for themselves)

- (actually, the fourth mansion ghost is polterpup! the dark moon piece WAS in his collar but a certain evershade stole it after the doggy lets his guard down around luigi

- evershade, using the dark moons power, casts a blacklight into king boos painting and finally frees him, offering him ultimate power and ruling over ghosts if they work together as a team. king boo finds this hashtag funny so he’s like ok

- then, luigi gets teleported out of the lab before he can try and stop them. polterpup points him towards where evershades lab has been all along- the fourth and final mansion, old clockworks

- in there luigi finds e gadd being held hostage, where he reveals evershade was trying to threaten him into freeing king boo

- as ghost luigi you also experience side effects of the dark moon in this final dungeon, like controller inputs not working or luigi needing to stop and wrestle off a headache

- so yea... final boss is basically king boo fighting you and evershade cheering him on and you need to counter king boos attacks so that they hit the dark moon and destroy it

- luigi sucks up king boo.... LOL

- evershade is defeated and he doesn’t even have an evil monologue he just kinda stares at luigi unimpressed like ‘really? this is the route you’re taking’ and luigi silently just kinda grabs onto e gadd and whatever toads are in this game. and neither of them say anything

- somewhere in old clockworks a clock goes off, and all the rest of them do too (the one time you hear every clock in sync). fade to white and e gadd and luigi wake up in an empty field where a construction worker asks if they’re ok. pan out to reveal evershade is gone and there’s apparently a construction crew hoping to build four brand new buildings here in this valley

UM THATS IT LOL.... it’s rly overcomplicated i know. i’m sorry.

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Banner

Ch 2. The Contest.

Summary: Life at SHIELD isn’t always missions and seriousness, as a good natured shooting contest between Katie and Clint shows. The questions is, as the two dead-shots face off, who will be the winner? Steve has utter faith in his best friend, so much so he’s willing to bet money on her. But is this just another ten bucks he’s gonna lose?

Either way, both are left contemplating their feelings towards one another and fast come to the realisation that they run deeper than they want to admit

Pairing: Steve Rogers X OFC Katie Stark

Warnings: Language!!

A/N: A huge thank you to @angrybirdcr​ for her lovely little edit below of Katie and Clint. She’s kingly agreed to pull a few edits together for me in honour of my relaunch so keep your eyes peeled…

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 1

 Katie had no idea why she’d agreed to any of this. Actually, that was a lie, she knew exactly why she’d agreed to this, it was all down to Evans who had decided that STRIKE were long overdue a competition of sorts and had organised a shooting-slash-obstacle course tournament. Eight members had entered, going into random draws and competing against one another over the past week. Out of those eight, two now remained. Her and Clint.

A shooting contest between two Avengers was always going to draw big attention, so it was hardly surprising, therefore, that the SHIELD agents were running a book. Clint was odds on favourite to win, but Steve had so far refused to take part, that is until ten minutes or so before the contest was supposed to start. He was stood outside the shooting range, eyes focussed on Katie and Clint as they both stood checking their equipment, a crowd steadily gathering behind him.

“I know she’s good, but she really doesn’t stand a chance.” Natasha drawled as she stood at his side. Her matter-of-fact tone caused something in his chest to stir, the lack of faith everyone bar Evans and Lawson from the lab seemed to be displaying in Katie over Clint riled him and he turned to Natasha, a smirk flickering over his face as he repeated the words Katie had said to him the first night they’d met.

“Ten bucks says you’re wrong.” He stuck his hand out.

Natasha raised an eyebrow at him, before shaking his hand “Alright Rogers, you’re on.”

His hands returned to his belt buckle and both Katie and Clint signalled they were ready.

Evans went into the room, it was soundproof unless you pushed the button to listen in, which Rumlow did, of course.

“Okay you both no the rules but I’m gonna repeat ‘em just in case. No pushing or shoving of your opponent because that’s just a shitty thing to do.” Evans said, his Texan drawl loud as his hand scratched at his ginger beard. “Perfect kill shots are an extra half-point. Twenty minute time limit is in force. If you’re tied on score then we’ll go to the number of kill shots made.” Evans looked at them and they both nodded, Katie licking her lips. “Now. To your starting lines. You may go when the barriers open.” Evans nodded and held his right hand up, three fingers extended “May the odds be ever in your favour…”

Steve had no idea what that was a reference too, but he heard the rest of the people around him snigger. Katie threw her head back in a laugh as Clint mimicked Evan’s hand gesture as the other Sniper left the room.

The two opponents both looked out over the room from their starting positions at the obstacles which were constructed out of crates and various other objects. Katie cracked her neck side to side as Clint raised his pistol again, looking down the barrel before he turned his head to meet Katie’s gaze. She put her gun back into its thigh holster and turned to her old SO.

“May the best woman win.” she smirked, as she felt the blood pounding in her ears. Then, with a loud klaxon, the barriers opened in front of them and they both shot forward.

It might have been a friendly competition, but Katie wasn’t someone who liked losing so she was playing to win, and that was obvious from the determination written all over her face. Steve felt a surge of pride as he watched her leaping from obstacle to obstacle, landing shot after shot. After she hit her fourth target head easily and ahead of Clint, Steve heard Natasha hiss through her teeth.

“Ok, so maybe she has a little chance…”

He didn’t reply, simply watched, silently willing her on.

As the minutes ticked on, the two continued, both making leaps, dropping into rolls, and ducking behind corners. Katie took another shot, and paused for a split second, if she was counting correctly there were two more to go and five minutes left on the clock. She looked up for her next target and saw Clint was blocking her way, knelt down, aiming at his own. Katie knew the sensible thing to do would be to wait, but then she was a Stark, being sensible wasn’t one of her main attributes. With a smirk she re-holstered her gun and sprinted as fast as she could, launching herself forward into a perfect front flip, catapulting right over the top of Clint before she immediately slid onto a knee and brought the handgun back up, aiming at the target.

Outside the room there was a lot of cheering and cat calls at her display of acrobatics.

Katie moved to her final target, back against a large crate, aimed but then missed and Steve closed his eyes- that would cost her.

“Shit!” She exclaimed, doubling over to catch her breath as at that point the klaxon sounded again to say they were out of time. She stood up, cocking the safety on her pistol before stowing it away as Clint walked over to her, pulling her into a hug.

“Sharp shooting, Nova!” He grinned, ruffling at her hair. Both of them turned as the doors open and a few agents walked in, back slapping them both as Evans collected the targets and went to tally up the points.

“That was impressive!” Steve smiled as he crossed the room. “Both of you.”

“Yeah, not bad Stark.” Nat added, appraisingly

“Thanks.” Katie nodded, taking a drink of the bottle of water Clint handed to her. She was red faced, sweating but absolutely thrilled, pumped full of adrenaline. She placed her hands on her hips and took a deep breath

“And we have the results!” Evans said and Clint threw his arm round Katie as hers slid round his waist. “Stark you missed one giving you nine and three kill shots, taking you to ten point five.” Cheers rang around at the pretty damned good score and Katie grinned as Evans waited until the applause died down before he continued. “However, Barton hit each target, giving him ten plus four kill shots, taking him to twelve over all meaning he is the winner of this year’s STRIKE Shoot Off!”

“Damned it!” Katie groaned, shaking Clint’s hand as various cheers and complaints went up and people started to cash in their bets.

“You’re fired.” Steve heard a familiar voice say. Spinning round, he saw Fury handing over a fifty to an agent whose name escaped him and Steve bit back a smile. The Director had bet on Katie. That one mistake had been costly.

“Cough up Rogers.” Nat held out her hand and he turned to her, sighing and fished in his pocket for a note, handing it to her.

“You bet on me?” Katie looked at him, surprised.

“Course I did, Doll.” he said immediately.

 “Yeah I didn’t, sorry Stark.” Nat took the ten-note off him “Clint’s never lost a challenge yet.”

“He nearly did.” Steve looked at Katie proudly before he glanced back at Natasha. “Was worth the bet to see you get so twitchy Romanoff.”

“Seriously?”  Clint turned to Natasha. “You got twitchy?”

“I’ll admit at one point I thought Stark might have just shaded it.” Nat narrowed her eyes at Steve who simply shrugged, hands dropping to the front of his belt buckle.

“To be fair, there was one point where I thought that too.” Clint smiled, and Katie felt a surge of pride in her chest as he pulled the magazine out of his pistol. “Did good Nova, I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks Clint.” she smiled at him.

“So, who fancies a drink?” Barton looked around, clapping his hands together.

“I’m game.” Katie nodded as she stripped down her weapon.

Natasha hummed in agreement and then Steve realised they were all looking at him. He hesitated, he really did need to train as he hadn’t had a decent run that morning and he’d be restless all evening otherwise, but after that…why not?

"I gotta work out first but if you tell me where you’re going I’ll join you when I’m done.”

“Take a day off!” Nat drawled, examining her nails. Steve was about to reply but Katie got there first.

“If he doesn’t work out he’s a right crank! And no one likes a Cranky Cap.”

“You know what Stark?” Steve started but she simply stuck her tongue out at him causing him to roll his eyes, fighting to keep the smile off his face.

“Why don’t we try the new sports bar on the high-street, what’s it called again?” Clint suggested.

“Home Run?” Nat asked.

“Yeah that’s it.” he nodded “Couple of doors down from the Burger joint.”

“I’ll find it.” Steve said as Clint nodded, making for the door, Natasha following.  Katie turned to Steve, smiling at him as he surveyed the room.

"You did a good job,” he nodded to the obstacle course “Did it take you back to fighting Aliens?”

“Not quite the same, you know? No returning gunfire… no life-or-death stakes… no Captain America cushioning my fall when we got blown out of a bank window,” she teased. He laughed, as she started to back up towards the door. “I won’t take up your workout time. See you at the bar?”

“You never take up my time, Honey.” He smiled back, honestly, before he felt the flush rise up his neck. What a dumbass thing to say. “See you later.” He nodded.

With that she took her leave, tugging her hair out the ponytail as she left, allowing the gentle waves to cascade down her back.

********

Half an hour or so later, after Katie had showered and changed, the three Avengers were making the twenty minute or so walk to the bar downtown.

“You know I still can’t believe I got to within a point and a half of you.” Katie nudged Clint.

“Me neither actually.” Natasha mused. “I thought it was gonna be a whitewash.”

“Nice to know you have so much faith in me, Widow.” Katie scoffed and Nat snorted.

“Tell you who did have faith, other than Rogers… Fury.” She looked at Katie who grinned from ear to ear.

“Hang on…the boss bet against me?” Clint stopped. With a heavy sigh he shook his head. “Damned, that hurts.”

“Don’t take it personally.” Katie shrugged as they reached the bar. With a loud snort, Clint opened the door to let the girls step in first and then he joined them, looking around at the new surroundings. It was low lit but piled with sports memorabilia held in various glass cases around the room and on the walls. They took the time to look at most of it on their way to the bar where Clint bought the first round. Drinks in hand, they headed to a plush, leather seated booth and settled down.

The three friends fell into an easy chat, and then the inevitable teasing about Rumlow fancying Katie started up and she groaned. Clint and Nat enjoyed ribbing her about him and she had to admit, he wasn’t subtle to be fair. He’d asked her out three times now and she’d politely declined but it didn’t stop her friends from enjoying teasing her about it. Clint and Nat took turns in trying to highlight Rumlow’s more endearing qualities. They managed a sum total of three when Clint leaned back in his chair and shrugged.

“Yeah, that’s all I got. I’m out.” He grinned as Katie laughed, raising her glass to her mouth to drain the last of her beer.

“Yeah, he’s not relationship materiel.” Nat shrugged

“But you could just fuck him, get what you need and kick him out before breakfast.” Clint suggested causing Katie to choke down her mouthful of European lager and pick up the beer mat nearest her.

Steve chose that exact moment to walk into the bar. He watched as the beer mat hit Clint straight between the eyes, and Katie threw her head back in pure, unadulterated laughter. Something in the Captain’s chest stirred as he watched her, that wonderful smile and laugh filling her face.

“Hey.” He greeted them as they all looked up. “You guys need another drink?”

“Cheers Cap, three beers.” Clint motioned round the table and Steve headed off to the bar. Katie watched him go, eye trained on his ass which looked remarkably fine in those dark denims, then, realising what she was doing and who she was with, she let out silent groan as she turned back to see Clint and Nat exchanging a glance, a glance between two people who had just discovered the best secret ever.

“What?” she shrugged, trying to keep her face as straight as possible. “Girl can look, right?”

“Nova, you ain’t just looking, you’re practically drooling.” Clint grinned. “You soft on Cap?”

“No, I just happen to…” She hesitated as she stumbled for the words “…appreciate what my father had a hand in producing, that’s all.”

“Bullshit!” Natasha snorted as Clint roared with laughter. “You’re hot for Rogers.”

“No, I’m…”

“You know, considering you’re a secret agent your poker face is really shit!” Clint pointed at her

“Oh fuck off, the both of you.” She spluttered and the pair of them continued to chuckle, exchanging looks in that infuriating way they did, until Steve returned, setting down the four pints which he easily held in his hands and slid into the spare seat next to Katie.

Thankfully, Natasha and Clint decided to leave their teasing alone and the four of them struck up a conversation talking about everything and anything. A few more pints were drunk and when it came back to Clint’s turn to buy he came back from the bar, a wicked grin on his face.

“Oh, no I know that look!” Katie pointed at him and Clint shrugged, placing her pint down in front of her before he sat down.

“Yeah, she’s right.” Natasha eyed him. “What you up to?”

“I’m just in the mood for another challenge.” Clint leaned forward, his eyebrows raising up and down as he spoke.

“Like what?” Katie folded her arms

“Which one of you…” he said, waving his finger between her and Nat, “…can down a pint fastest?”

“Is that really wise?” Steve asked and Katie smirked.

“Not for Nat, no.”

The red head quirked an eyebrow, “I’m game if you are.”

Katie shrugged as Clint chuckled and pounded his hand on the table. “Alright then, Ladies! On your marks…”

As soon as Clint had done counting down Katie raised the glass to her mouth and chugged, draining it in four seconds flat before turning it upside down on top of her head. Natasha wasn’t even half way through hers before she groaned and set it down, trying to supress a burp.

Steve couldn’t help but look at Katie, his mouth falling open.

"What?” she laughed, shrugging as the Captain exchanged a look with Clint. “I spent three years at University, drinking with boys.”

“Yeah well I’ll stick to Vodka.” Nat shook her head “Fancy that as a challenge?”

“Not a chance.” Katie scoffed, “Although Cap could.”

“He could, but he won’t” Steve sternly shot her a look “Because it wouldn’t be fair.”

Katie rolled her eyes pouting.

“You do know I’m Russian, right. Well, I was.” Nat leaned back on the bench. “I was practically weaned on the stuff.”

“Yes, I know that, but I can’t get drunk.” Steve shrugged. “My metabolism burns it off too fast.”

“Cap,” Clint sighed, shaking his head, “that might just be the saddest thing I have ever heard.”

“Even sadder than when you heard you were shipping off to guard Thor’s hammer?” Nat asked. Clint considered her point for a moment, and shrugged.

“Hmmmm. Maybe the same level of sadness at learning I was about to head to Butt-fuck America for an undefined amount of time, yes.”

Steve choked into his beer. Besides him Katie laughed and as Steve looked at Clint, the archer snorted and shook his head.

“Cap. I’m serious. It was legit in the middle of the fucking desert. Nothing for miles.”

“Hey, what happened to that one eyed puppy we found?” Katie asked suddenly.

“Err, I took him to some friends.” Clint answered after a slight pause. “Their kids love him, he’s living the best life.”

Katie and Natasha shared a smile, both understood friends to mean his family and his own kids.

“Still eating Pizza?” Katie asked.

“Pizza?” Steve asked, frowning. “Who feeds a dog pizza?”

“Well he was a bit like you in that respect. Do anything for a double pepperoni with extra cheese.” Katie nudged him with her elbow

“As long as its New York style.” Steve drained his glass, matter of factly.

“Admit it, you enjoyed it when it took you to Second City” Katie eyed him.

“You been to Seconds?” Clint asked. “Thought you swore you wouldn’t go back after that waiter said he wanted to give you a real slice of Chicago to talk about?”

“He did not!” Natasha giggled.

Katie groaned “He did.”

“Now, I wish I’d seen that.”  Nat grinned as Clint let out a loud snort.

“She went full Supernova in three seconds flat. Dragged him over the counter and everything.”

“You didn’t?” Steve glanced at her, although he knew the answer from the look on her face as she groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Look… we had just got back from a week’s stake out in Saudi Arabia…” she sighed, shrugging as Clint and Natasha laughed “I was tired and fending off the advances of some greasy, 40 something year old man politely really wasn’t top of my list.”

“Why not? You do it every day to Rumlow” Nat smirked.

At the mention of his name Steve felt his eyes narrow. He hated the way the STRIKE leader blatantly eyed Katie up at every given chance. It was disrespectful.

“Don’t start that again” Katie rolled her eyes.

“He’s not a bad looking guy.” Nat persisted. “You could do worse.”

“You like him so much you fuck him!” Katie’s voice was snappy. Romanoff leaned back in her chair, eyeing her over half full glass, smirking.

“Touched a nerve, Stark?”

“No, you’re just talking crap, as usual.” she shot back, standing up. “My round.”

Steve moved so that she could get out from the booth and watched her head to the bar.

“Think we need to lay off the whole Rumlow thing.” Clint snorted, turning Nat. “She’s clearly not interested.”

“She’s obviously looking for someone a little less…” Nat pondered and Clint cut in.

“Of an ass hat?”

Steve snorted and Natasha shrugged.

“I was gonna say a little more of a gentleman but…if the cap fits…” Her eyes flashed to Steve and he looked at her, his eyebrows pulling together as he felt the heat flushing to his neck. She simply shrugged, in her usual nonchalant way before she changed the subject.

****

A few hours later Clint and Nat decided they’d had enough and left to grab a taxi. When Clint was in town he always stayed with Nat, prompting Steve to wonder if there was anything going on beyond the platonic friendship. He pondered it for a moment, deciding to just ask the question.

 “Is there something between them?” he nodded to the pair as they left.

“No.” Katie shook her head “Absolutely not.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Okay, I’ll tell you, but don’t be pissed I haven’t told you before…” she said, pausing “Clint…he’s married, has two kids.”

“What?” Steve choked on his beer.

“They have a place, somewhere, I don’t know exactly but it’s off SHIELD’s books and no one knows bar me, Nat and Fury.”

“Huh.” Steve pondered the information for a moment and Katie took a deep breath.

“Look, sorry I didn’t tell you but…”

“It’s okay.” Steve smiled. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a little bit disappointed she hadn’t told him before, but he understood, she was loyal to a fault. “I get it, he’s your friend.”

“Yeah I know but he’s not my best friend.” she batted her eyelids at him.

“Hmmm, stop buttering me up.”

“Has it worked?”

“Yes.” He deadpanned, draining his glass and she grinned “Same again?”

They had a couple more before Katie decided she was one pint away from being drunk and Steve found himself a little bit disappointed she wanted to leave. He was enjoying spending the time with her. It felt different to their usual trips out, she’d been more relaxed than he had seen her in a long time, enjoying the gentle touches she made to his arm and leg when she was teasing him.

His mind flicked back to Natasha’s little comment before and he found himself wondering if the red head knew something he didn’t. Was there something there on Katie’s part too? As he studied her for a moment as she pulled on her jacket, talking to him, he shook himself out of it. No, why would someone like her look twice at someone like him.

He managed to tune back into what she was saying, telling her no way was he giving her a lift home on the back of his bike without a helmet, causing her to pout and bat her lashes at him in an outrageously over the top manner causing him to snort.

“That ain’t gonna work either.” He shook his head and she shrugged.

“Worth a shot.” She chuckled as they made their way to the door. “And speaking of shots, you really shouldn’t have told Nat you can’t get drunk and whooped her ass at a vodka necking contest.” Her arm linked into his as they walked, and she leaned into him a little, her head laying against his upper bicep.

“Now that would have been dishonest. “Steve smirked. “Surely you’re not saying I should use my enhancement to my advantage in such a situation?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” she nodded.

Steve laughed, sticking his arm out to hail a cab for her.

“But then you’re a very honest kinda guy.”

“I have my moments.” He turned to face her

“Moments? Nah ah, you can’t lie for shit!” she grinned at him.

“No, I can’t lie to you for shit, Sweetheart” He rolled his eyes “You know me too well.”

“Hmmm, true.” she nodded in agreement as the car stopped at the curb and Steve opened the door for her.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Steve asked, not particularly happy she was cabbing back alone, it was times like this he wished he had a car. “I can walk back for my bike.”

“I can handle myself, I’m a trained killer remember?” she raised her hands and made gun signs at him with her fingers. He shook his head, smiling.

“You’re an idiot.” He snorted a laugh.

“But you love me!” She grinned, standing on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek. “G’night, Soldier.”

“Call me when you’re home.” He instructed “And if I ain’t heard from you in twenty…” he raised his voice so the cab driver could hear.

She shook her head, smiling as she climbed into the taxi and waved as it pulled off.

It wasn’t long before she was home and once she made her way into her bedroom, Katie kicked off her boots, flopped down onto her bed and pulled out her phone, better do as Captain Badass instructed or knowing him he’d turn up and kick the door in.

“So I’m home Old timer…” she said, when he answered and from his sigh she knew he would be rolling his eyes.

“Less of the old” he retorted, the clinking of cutlery and plates rattling in the background.

“What you doing?” she asked.

“Making food.”

“You can’t cook.”

“Yes I can.”

“So why have you never cooked for me?” she asked indignantly, feeling somewhat annoyed that she always did the cooking for the two of them.

“Because you’re better at it.” He replied, simply. “And I’ve made you grilled cheese before. And soup. Now drink some water and go to sleep.”

“God you’re so bossy.” she grumbled.

“Someone has to be, you’re a law unto yourself.”

“If I say it will you do what I said?”

“Maybe, probably, definitely maybe” she shrugged to herself.

“Then you’re awesome. Goodnight, Doll.”

“Night Stevie.”

****

Steve cut the call, placing his phone down on the counter as he thought back over the day, waiting for his food to heat up. For the first time in a long time he actually felt completely at ease. Ease with his life both in and out of SHIELD.

Up until a few weeks ago it had still felt slightly confusing, and it still did with the STRIKE team sometimes. At first he had been tentative, not trying to step on Rumlow’s toes but that had quickly settled and the two of them had fallen into a pretty good working relationship. As much as Rumlow could rile him, Steve knew that the man was good at his job, and Steve was equally good at his. He was the tactician, Rumlow organised the troops. But sometimes, well, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Sometimes he felt interest, but it was often coloured by the lingering disillusionment that his team were merely humouring him as the blue eyed all American hero he had been painted to be.

But never once had he felt like that with Katie.

And then his apartment seemed to blur in front of him, causing him to realise this went way beyond some daft crush. He was really falling in deep. The heat travelled up his chest into his neck and he felt his palms become sweaty. He dropped his arms to wipe them on his jeans as the fizzy feeling left his body, but stayed by him, swirling around until he could practically hear it. This really, really wouldn’t do. She was his best friend, a work colleague, the daughter of one of his friends from the forties…and then there was Peggy.

Not for the first time Steve delved into the reasons he’d been drawn to Katie, comparing her to Peggy. Both women had strong personalities, an unwavering sense of justice and ethics, a deep well of compassion, loyalty, and the air of authority that put more than one man in his place, including himself. They were both incredibly beautiful, filled with passion, devotion and ambition…

Abandoning his food, his appetite lost completely, he threw the remains into the bin and headed into his bedroom, intending to do what he did best when it came to women. 

Stick his head in the sand and hope to God it all went away.

****

Once she’d cleaned her face of make-up and pulled on a pair of pyjamas, Katie collapsed into her pillow, thinking about what a good day it had been. She hadn’t disgraced herself at the contest, had a good evening in the pub afterwards, and to top it off Fury and Steve had actually backed her in said contest.

At the thought of Steve, it reminded her she needed some water. Heading to the kitchen she grabbed a glass, filled it, and then made her way back to bed, this time snuggling down under the covers as she smiled to herself.

It was kind of nice to have Steve looking out for her, even if he was a bossy bastard about drinking water. It showed he cared. And it wasn’t just that, it was the way he was so comfortable with her. The gentle touches to her arm and lower back, the fact he called her doll or sweetheart. The smile that he flashed her that could light up his entire face, and those eyes, those god damned beautiful eyes that could drown her in seconds.

Her stomach was suddenly crawling with those damned butterflies, the same ones she had been feeling on or off around him now since Thanksgiving. And they fluttered from her stomach to her chest

“You’re hot for Rogers…”

Natasha and Clint had both hit the nail on the head, and that nail was getting harder and harder to ignore. She had feelings for Captain fucking America. Her dad’s friend, her best friend.

Groaning, she rolled over and shoved her head into the pillows. “I’m so fucked.”

**** Chapter 3

**Original Posting**

[dannyphantom-rewrite]

Character ref for; Jack, Maddie and Jazz,

Art by @gally-hin / @gally-hin-phantom

Okay so first off; in terms of Actual redesign, I didn't change a whole lot. I'm actually very fond of Jack and Maddie's design's, my only real issue was with their proportions. Like...look as a lady person who is also thiCC I do not have a fucking wasp thin waist and I'm sure I'm not the only one, lmao. As for Jack? Godamnit he looked like a brick on toothpicks. Just Let him be a fucking Bara man! Anyway of course I asked Gally to do this one bc they're fucking great at drawing different body types

I also cannot and will not take credit for Jazz's outfit. I didn't have any issue with her canon clothes aside from them being a bit plain, so what she's wearing here was literally pulled straight off of her original concept art, which I will link here.

Anyway, getting to the Actual character lore now, let's start with

Maddie Fenton

-Full name is Madeline (I haven't decided on a maiden name yet)

-Born and raised on a farm in Arkansas, had a southern accent that she trained herself out of in college bc it was just one more reason for people not to take her seriously. Still sometimes uses "y'all" completely unironically bc old habits die hard.

-She has a really big family, and they're proud of her accomplishments but feel like she's wasting her talent studying ghosts, because really, up until the Fenton portal was up and running there wasn't even any solid proof they existed. Her sister Alicia is the one outlier there, and even if she doesn't understand, it she completely supports her.

-She majored in engineering and minored in psychology at Wisconsin EDU. Her, Jack and Vlad were all in the same engineering class, and that's where they met.

-Maddie is particularly interested in how ghosts think, analysing their behavior, their motives. Not only that, but they aren't just dead people with unfinished business, they've built an entire culture in the Ghost Zone that is completely seperate from humanity, and she wants to understand all of it.

-skilled marksman and 9th degree black belt, (which is. The highest fucking level there is holy shit? I looked it up after I saw it on her wiki page.)

Jack Fenton

-He's from Minnesota (Amity park is in Illinois and him and Maddie didn't move there until after they got married) 

-okay, "but why minnesota specifically" you ask? Because. I crave. Foot ball discourse. 

-minnesota vikings vs green bay packers guys do you UNDERSTAND WHERE IM GOING WITH THIS 

-The funny thing is that Jack only watches football casually while Vlad is a fucking die hard so when these two got together to see a game it was like....

-Jack: Here to chill and have a good time.

-Vlad: Primed and ready to start a fist fight at any given moment.

-I am never not going to be salty about how Canon Jack was portrayed like a complete moron 99% percent of the time. Like no...theres a difference between Actual Stupid and ADHD induced dumbass-ery.

-Am I saying Jack Fenton has ADHD? Yes. why? Because I also have ADHD and I have always vibed So Hard with his Character.

-Jack is loud and easily excited about things that interest him. He's impulsive and fidgety and yeah, a bit absent minded. He has a mouth that clearly runs so much faster than his head. His train of thought doesn't get derailed so much as it stops and takes several different detours on the way to it's final destination.

-and that's only the tip of the iceberg, really, I'd need an entire essay to get into this completely, but I just really relate.

-Jacks skill-set / interests regarding ghosts vary a bit from Maddie's, most notably in the sense that he doesn't believe that they're static entities already set in their ways, completely incapable of change.

-Jack majored in engineering and minored in Biology at Wisconsin EDU.

-Jack's work with tech is a bit hit or miss. He definitely HAS the engineering skills, but the intrest isn't always there and he's constantly jumping back and forth between different projects. He tends to focus on the concept work and schematics and leave most of the assembly to Maddie as a result. It's an arrangement that works well for them, and has drastically decreased the number of unintentional explosions in the lab.

-A lot of Jack's work tends to revolve around ghostly biology and Ectoplasm, figuring out how ghosts are made, what makes them tick, what the hell Ectoplasm Actually Is, how it's used as an energy source, ect.

-and yes, that does also mean he handles the dissections.

-See that facial scar? Yeah, that's not actually there at the start of the series rewrite but it's very important for plot reasons so I had to include it. Can't say much more on the subject because SPOILERs owo.

Jasmine Fenton

-Jazz is a 18 years old, and a senior at Casper high.

-Which means she prepping to go away to college and won't be around to keep an eye on Danny.

-Obviously that doesn't mean I'm just writing her out of the story, oh no. Know why? Because she's also gonna go to Wisconsin EDU. ya know who else is in Wisconsin? Fuckin' Vlad.

-Jazz is autistic, Although she passes for neurotypical in part due to symptoms being completely over looked in girls due to gender stereotyping and also the fact that she doesn't have any special interests that are considered " "too weird.""

- Her hyperfixation with psychology started at a young age in an effort to better understand people, and social/emotional cues and all that.

-Jazz is well liked at school but she's not popular or apart of any specific group or clique. She's very kind and compassionate to people, and just about everyone knows her, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who actually Considered her a friend. Except maybe Spike.

-I'm gonna have to give spike his own Character ref at some point, but he's this scary looking goth kid that's been held back twice. He's actually super sweet, just really fuckin' quiet and anxious. Him and jazz kinda ended up gravitating towards each other. She might do most of the talking, but they look out for each other.

-its not like jazz doesn't try to socialize, but it's difficult and she's found it much easier and less stressful to just. Keep to herself and let her interactions with her peers stay shallow and superficial. Sure, it's lonely sometimes but it's better than constantly worrying about saying the wrong thing or making some other misstep.

-One of Jazz's other special interests is football, and it's not so much the players or the game as it is the strategy of it? Started out as one of those things you do to bond with your dad, and she ended up getting really into it.

-She absolutley winds up getting into stupidly intense discussions with Vlad about it, too, lmao.

-Her and Danny probably bonded over SBNation bc that shit has both sentient satellites and ridiculously complex football mechanics.

-She's completely oblivious to the fact, but Dash has a massive crush on her bc holy shit this girl understands football (hey bud your toxic masculinity is showing put that shit away)

-I mentioned that Danny was in Cheer for a bit in middle school so it makes sense that she'd also be pushed into doing some kind of extracurricular activity.....so.....she was in a martial arts class for a bit thanks to Maddie and has a good grasp on self defense.

I think that's everything? I feel like I'm leaving things out tho? Idk if I did I'll come back and add on to this later and also pls don't hesitate to ask questions bc it really helps me flesh things out better.

[coldshrugs]

this side of paradise, part 2: time dilation

characters: alma greene & adam du mortain (platonic)

word count: ~1k

rating: teen - super vague mention of suicidal ideation

[part 1: r.i.p. me]

The drive into the city isn’t a long one. Maybe an hour, maybe less. But Adam’s got a way of making the minutes drag on that convinces Alma they’re headed for a black hole rather than the facility. At least he doesn’t mind having music on; they managed to bond over an appreciation for electric guitar riffs a couple of years ago and since then drives aren’t so bad.

Still, Alma finds a speck of dirt on the window and uses it to occupy the time, bouncing and bobbing her head to keep it just over the tree line. It works for a few minutes.

“Stop that.”

“What?”

“Nodding,” he explains, “at my window. It’s distracting.”

Alma chuckles, wondering if his request is actually due to distraction or perhaps simply annoyance at her finding a spot on his vehicle that isn’t immaculate. It’s an effort to keep the thought to herself -- gently pestering Adam hasn’t gotten old -- but she’s got other things to talk about while they’re alone.

“I’m sorry. It’s an old habit, I guess.” Alma turns the volume of the music down and swings around to Adam, sitting as far sideways as her seatbelt allows.

He quirks a brow but doesn’t shift his eyes from the road. “How old?” 

Is he teasing? The corners of his mouth curve into a smile that she’d miss had she not known him for so long.

“Never as old as you,” she laughs before deciding it’s now or never. “But speaking of your lifespan…”

“Yes?” Adam bristles, but it’s waved off quickly enough for Alma to feel sure about pressing on.

“Do you ever feel like it’s too much?” She leans her head back on the seat, watches him tense and twitch at the question. They hurtle sluggishly toward the event horizon of the truth and Alma holds her breath.

Adam looks at her and his expression is rare, full of a knowing warmth. Alma thinks it looks like pity, in a way. Or maybe that specific bittersweet pride that overcomes parents when their children move out or leave for university. Whatever it is, she doesn’t need to say it. He knows exactly why she’s asking. She finally exhales, and her chest shakes.

Adam nods. “Yeah. Sometimes it feels like too much. Sometimes I want to quit.”

She didn’t imagine he’d feel that way. Adam, her infallible leader; Adam, the man that would sacrifice anything for his team, for the Agency; Adam, whom she realizes, despite how much progress they’ve made over the years, she still doesn’t know that well.

“But you don’t quit,” she offers a smile, the tiniest bit of comfort she can before his eyes refocus on the road. “What makes it worth it?”

“My work. Having a continuous purpose is essential.” He pauses, tilting his head. “And my family -- Unit Bravo. They give me purpose too.”

Alma swells with a tingly, nostalgic joy. She feels it in her limbs, feels it inside her bones, realizes she hasn’t felt it since Rebecca showed up at the Wayhaven police station over two years ago. She’s had to remodel her idea of family, not that she’s ever known anything resembling normalcy. But if, in such a short time, Adam’s version of family might include her too, that’s all the assurance she needs. Nine hundred years and his heart is still soft enough to let her in. It’s proof that she can stay soft too. 

“Do you remember what it felt like? Turning?” She draws her knee to her chest, then promptly drops it when Adam glances at her shoe in the seat with a grimace.

“No, actually.” He squints. “I can tell you it was quite painful, but the specific sensations are lost to me. It happens very quickly, but it will feel like a lifetime for you.”

“How quickly?”

He shrugs. “Half an hour? Faster sometimes.”

“Holy shit.” Alma turns back to the dashboard.

Adam, in clinical specificity, starts listing all the ways her body might change (to which Alma can only try to hide her nausea) before cutting himself off. “Wait, is this why Agent Greene wanted this meeting?”

“Yep.” She sighs. “We’re trying to keep this under wraps for the time being, but the lab techs think my mutation won’t cause too many problems. They still want to run a couple of tests first, then we can set a date.”

Adam nods. “Sounds like the Agency.” He steals a quick glance at her. “Are you scared?”

Alma laughs. It comes out far more bitter than she intends, stuck behind the lump in her throat. “I’m terrified. But I’m ready.”

Another nod. “I think you are.”

And there’s that same bubbling gratification from before. Her eyes sting with an emotion she can’t name and Alma curses under her breath. She knows Felix and Nate will support her; she’s been close with them for years and they’ve cheered her on through moments large and small. This will be no different. But Alma’s always wavering on where she stands with Adam. He respects her, he doesn’t mind having her around, but they’ve never been particularly friendly outside of work. Now he sounds so certain she can do this and she wonders if she’s underestimated him this entire time.

She wipes at a tear, hoping to catch it before he sees. “Thank you, Adam.”

“I assume you will share this news with the others before the big change?” The teasing tone is back in his voice and Alma’s laugh, still thick and hoarse, is real this time.

“I think Felix would love the surprise.”

“He might,” Adam sighs, “but Mason will not.”

Alma pulls her hair back from her face, ties it into a bun before deciding against it. “I know. I’m getting there. I just wanted to talk to someone who has some experience with this under their belt and get through these tests.”

“I can understand that.” He smiles. “But I recommend doing it sooner rather than later.”

He’s right and she knows it.

The SUV slows into the abandoned bank’s parking lot and Alma blinks in surprise. Somewhere along the way, the painstaking tick of seconds usually felt in Adam’s presence sped up until Alma couldn’t feel them passing at all. They climb out of their seats, hurrying inside the dilapidated building. It feels silly to rush when, soon, she’ll have more time on her hands than she can imagine. 

[ghostesez]

I’ve been seeing that post going around claiming that FFN is dying. So, I’ve decided to slowly bring my fanfics from FFN/AO3 here to Tumblr as well just so they’re archived in more than one place. They’re all kind of old, but I still want to save them.

This one is probably my best, Atramentous Inferno. Warnings for vivisection/dissection, blood, gore, and implied character death. Word count: 1480

Finally! Finally we caught that damnable specter. Now, we can get to work…

Nice to know that the new guns are calibrated correctly.

—

Danny’s eyes flickered open, struggling to take in even the small amount of light in the darkened room. Around him, familiar sounds and smells filled his head, cutting through his mind like daggers of onyx. Even before his vision fully adjusted, he was well aware that he was in a laboratory. The smell was of latex and bleach, the sounds of clicks a rough dragging of a pen over a roll of paper, no doubt monitoring him. Next to his head, a few feet above, an IV dripped a bright, green liquid through a small tube. The tube wrapped around the pole of the IV machine like a venomous viper before burrowing into his bare arm, the needle taped down snuggly against his skin. The sleeve of his right arm had been cut up to make access to the needle easier, his glove sat on the table next to him.

As Danny’s eyes began to adjust, he took in even more of his surroundings. It soon became obvious that he was not in FentonWorks. This lab was strange, alien and foreign. Danny lifted his head, only vaguely aware of the IV in his arm. He glanced around, observing the computer to his left, automatically logging his breathing and heartrate. Spread out on the desk across the lab was a mountain of paperwork. Scrawled across the papers in hastily, but well thought-out handwriting was a vast array of mathematical calculations and words that Danny could not quite make out. The clock on the wall read a bit past four. Danny was unsure which four it meant to convey.

Danny peered down his body, ready to take in what exactly was happening.

He screamed.

—

Stand back! Something’s happening.

What in the world? Rings? He’s… he’s changing? Oh my God. It can’t be…

It’s a trick. Don’t be fooled by the face. This is some defense mechanism.

It’s… it’s…

—

His suit was shredded, having been cut unceremoniously with dull scissors. The few scraps which remained hung limply upon what remained of his torso. Pins were stuck into flaps of skin, piercing through the flesh below. Grayish bones and greened organs were visible in a hole the size of a basketball. Danny could see the bones of his ribcage move with his expanding and contracting lungs. His intestines twitched as he moved, like a swarm of snakes in his gut. An organ he didn’t recognize was nearly sawn in half, a clean cut, as though the experimenter has taken great care in the slice. Danny felt his heartrate escalate, as the computer next to him confirmed. Danny beat his head back against the stainless steel table which held him, clenching his restrained hands as hard as he could.

What had happened? There was a fight… Skulker? Danny had defeated Skulker, sucking him into the thermos as a white van of the Guys in White screeched onto the scene. It all went fuzzy after that. Danny felt that he could vaguely remember other non-Guys in White ghost hunters being there. A scream in the distance was audible. He recognized that scream… Was it Jazz? No. It was Sam. It was definitely Sam. She had been there. Of course she had been there. It was a routine fight… It was only Skulker. He’d fought Skulker an uncountable number of times before.

Now, everything was silent, save for the whirls and clicks of machines. Danny couldn’t even hear the ticks of the clock on the wall. The clicks in between the silence became deafening. As he twitched, more of his ectoplasm tricked out the gaping maw in his abdomen. His chest rose and fell as he breathed. Everything went dark again and Danny slipped from consciousness into blissful blackness. He was only slightly aware of light pouring in as a door was opened.

—

I don’t care, I really don’t. I just don’t care who this is… or was. He’s a ghost. He’s a monster. We have to do this.

We can’t possibly vivisect him. I don’t understand why you think that we can. It doesn’t feel right… he’s… he’s…

No. He isn’t. This is what ghosts do. They trick you. Demean you. Manipulate you. Don’t give in. This must be done for the advancement of science. For the good of the human race.

How could you possibly…?

—

Danny awoke to a torrential flood of light. A lamp had been placed above his head, searing a brightness into his eyes. He shut his eyes, tightening his eyelids as much as possible in an effort to drown out the blinding incandescence. A squeak was heard and the lamp was pushed away. Danny slowly opened his eyes as a scientist came into view. Even under the complete, white hazmat suit and helmet, he could make out that this scientist was female. She leaned over him, hands gripped the examination table tightly. She made eye contact with him, or at least Danny thought she did. Her goggles were as black as midnight, shadowy abysses in their own right.

The scientist began to move around the room, gathering papers and tapping her pen on various machines. She ignored the ghost boy’s pleas for mercy and questions as to who she was and why she was doing this. In fact, she seemed completely indifferent to the struggling and pained child in the room with her. The blackness of her goggles made even worse to Danny. Not being able to see her eyes made its seem as though she had no soul at all- a monstrous being of pure hate and loathing.

After what seemed like days to the subject, the scientist wheeled over a small table used to hold scalpels. Stopping it a foot from the examination table. Danny began to hyperventilate in fear of what was happening. The scientist said nothing as she picked a blade and cut into his cheek, just below the eye. Red and green liquids alike flowed from the slice, staining his face and shoulder with blood and ectoplasm. The overwhelming scents of iron and chemicals filled the air. The scientist scoffed and leaned over a table behind her, jotting down a few sentences on the papers which were strewn there. After a moment, she chose another scalpel from the tray beside her. She carefully lifted a flap of skin near the top of his gaping wound, slicing further up. She exposed a broken sternum and began to pick away the bones there as Danny shrieked in pain. All he could see was red now, a bright, blinding red of pain.

—

The Ecto-Dejecto should keep him from changing shape again.

Maddie, what if he’s not changing shape? What if…

Don’t think that way. This isn’t Danny. This… thing… has never been Danny. It’s all a trick. Can’t you see that?

I can’t Maddie. I just can’t.

Fine, Jack. Leave. You’re a spineless oaf anyways. I’ll do this on my own.

—

As she chipped away at the bones protecting his heart, the scientist ignored a desperate and bleeding phantom. She stopped only occasionally to scribble on the papers behind her. Ultimately, she ceased chipping away the sternum, and began to break and yank out the ribs which interfered with her work. She took six in total, examining and observing each as she pulled them out. Each landed on the surgical tray as she went. Eventually, her path to the hybrid’s heart had become unobstructed.

Danny pleaded with her, promising to tell her everything if only she would stop. She did not listen, only choosing a new blade in which to use in her experiments. The scientist did not hesitate as the she placed the scalpel and dragged, slicing open his heart. Blood and ectoplasm in equal amounts gushed forward into the maw of his chest like a demented sort of floodgate. As he gasped in his final breath, Danny could make out a pair of purple eyes and a wisp of reddish-brown hair behind those goggles of inky blackness.