#Danny is way to competent for a Guard
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Bank Security Guard Danny AU
So, the People of Gotham are extremely desensitized to Rouge Attacks at this point. It got to the point that whenever a person gets a job at the Bank, they have a whole 1 Hour Training Video on how to deal with a Rouge Attack right.
So, when they hire a New Security Guard from a lesser known Security Company, they don't even bother showing him the Training Video. They assume that he'll either Die or Drop them within a Week.
Danny, for the record, did not know how bad the Rouge problem truly was. All he knew was that some random guy in a Ski Mask had just walked into the bank like he owned the place and started showing off a Gun telling everybody to get on the ground.
Danny did the sensible thing and Knocked him the Fuck Out.
Then, the same thing happened the very next day, but this time it was an entire group of people. Danny had them dealt with before the first person had gotten to the floor.
Then the same thing happened the Same Day!
By the end of the week he had become a Legend among the Citizens of Gotham. There was only a single Bank in all of Gotham that had avoided being robbed for a Whole Week, and it was all because of this one Security Guard who was freakishly good at his Job.
By the end of the Month, most criminals don't even bother trying that Bank anymore. It got worse when he got loaned out as Security for another Bank, and the same thing happened again.
Eventually, he ends up rotating shifts in Every Bank in Gotham, and it becomes a Game for the Criminals to see if the Bank they try to Rob is the one Danny is in that night. And they can't even reasonably predict his next location, since he always moves around at Random!
No matter what Bank he is in, he always manages to beat the Crooks trying to Rob the Bank.
Then it gets weird. Due to a scheduling Mix Up, Danny ends up being scheduled for 2 different Banks on the same day, each across the city from the other.
One Bank reports that Danny stopped a gang from Robbing them at 6:00 PM, which really confuses the other Bank because Danny did the same thing in their Bank at the same time. Security Footage proves it, Danny was somehow in 2 places at once.
They decide not to confront him about it, but they do test a theory. They intentionally hire him at multiple different Banks at the same time for a week. He shows up to work every time without fail.
By now they have basically confirmed that he must be a Meta, but they don't really care anyways. Now he can protect multiple Banks at once with his usual perfect Efficiency, and he'll be payed accordingly as well. The Banks get protected well, and he gets payed Extreme Overtime by the Banks, everybody wins!
Well...except for the Crime Bosses of Gotham.
Before this, it was a Game for them to try and beat Danny. They didn't really care since a single Uber Competent Security Guard was still perfectly fine for business, sure they would fail a Job once in a while if they ran into him, but he could only be in 1 place at a time. It wasn't a Huge Loss.
But now it was too much. They needed to take care of him.
Assassination Attempts didn't work. He was just as competent Off the job as he was On it, so they could never get to him.
They tried attacking his Bosses, but then they hired themselves to protect...themselves. It was hard to kill his Bosses when he was constantly Bodyguarding all of them at once.
Attempts to get to him through his Family were...let's not talk about that...
It continued on like this for a while.
...
Soooo...I don't know how to end this one.
Go ahead and put your own spin on this Prompt! The basic idea is that Danny is using his Duplication Power to get to every shift on Time, and he is really annoying the Local Crime Bosses.
What do you think?
#Dp x dc#Dpxdc#Danny phantom#DC#Dcu#Security Guard Danny AU#Security Guard AU#Danny has Duplication Powers#Danny is way to competent for a Guard#I wonder what the Bat Fam would think of this?#Would they be glad that he is taking a load of work off of them?#Or would they be distrustful of a Powerful Meta in Gotham?#It's not like they can just ask him to leave#They Banks would riot#So would the people he saved#Maybe Ellie joins him on the Job?#Crooks: At least there's only one of them.#Ellie: Heya there!#Crook: What the f-!!!
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Danny and the waynes
So playboy bruce wayne gets a girl pregnant, but because she sleeps around she has no idea who the farther is and cant provide for danny
So he gets put on the foster system for a few years when, at 5-7 years old is adopted by the fentons
The years in the foster system has caused him some mental health problems and that inspired jazz to be a psychologist
Danny growes up, has his accident, danny phantom happens, he comes out to his parents as phantom and they accept him, but aftrt a few years guarding amity he wants to explore
So he finds a way to graduate early, get permission from the fentons to go on a year long trip(as long as he keeps in touch)
Afew months later 16 year old danny is in gothem and gets into a rouge gallerys battle field
One thing leads to another and when danny mentioned he was in the foster system but isn't any more they ask to do a DNA test...
Only for it to say he's bruce waynes kid...
.
.
.
Commissioner gorden knocked on the wayne door asking to talk to bruce wayne
Gorden tells them they might want to get all of their siblings their while he talks to bruce, and takes bruce into his study to talk privately
So all of the batkids are there wondering whats going on when gorden walks out of the room, excuses himself and leaves
When bruce cmes out he's pale as paper and he says the words no one was expecting
:... i have another son
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So they all get filled in and their all loosing their minds
Dick is exited to get another brother
Jason is praying this "danny" wasn't anything like the demon brat
Tim was a mix between hoping this one doesn't kill him, and getting ready to compete with dick for tital of favourite brother
And danian is having a life crisis at not being the only blood son but being the younger blood son
Danny is a mix between anxious at meeting his birth family and exited at having a more normal family
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.
.
About a week later jazz got a call from danny with the words
:they all need therapy
#danny phantom#fic prompt#daily prompt#danny fenton#dc x dp#dp x dc#funny#batman#dc#jazz fenton#damian wayne#danny is bruces son#good parents jack and maddie#the batfam are loosing their minds#bruce is calling up all hos ex partners tying to see if he has any#other children he dosent know about#danny is slowly losing braincells at the batfam#he's asking jazz to help get them to therapy#he will drag them kicking and screaming#danny also might have gotten into a fist fight with the joker#thats how the police found him
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@skulld3mort-1fan replied to your post “PERSONAL ASSISTANT DANNY AU!!! Amity Park has a...”:
Question is this before brice adopted dick or after ?? Is this when he has either jason or tim?? Cause this could be hilarious that they see Danny as Bruce keeper by how he manages to get him to his next schedule despite the amount of bullshit he's gone through and they all love the man cause he manages to be able to scold bruce as well as has Alfred's respect ( this can also slowly build to bruce x Danny thered very few of them and I really want to find some other )
I think there's potential for the AU during any section of Bruce's life! It'd be funny to see 40-something year old Bruce with a massive gaggle of kids and is also secretly a hardened vigilante, city cryptid, and recognized founder of the Justice League to be manhandled by some 25-year-old recent graduate that looks like he weighs a hundred pounds soaking wet.
However, I think for this AU I'm leaning more towards Danny and Bruce being around the same age. (I've already discussed my thoughts on a possible romantic relationship for them here if you're interested)
So to set the scene:
Bruce is around 25/26 when he returns to Gotham and is intent to regain his position as CEO and majority shareholder of his parents' company while also setting himself up as The Batman. The former he accomplishes with all the pizzazz and efficiency of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde (because you can't convince me that a competent Brucie Wayne isn't just Elle Woods). But the board members still underestimate Bruce. They think he's too young, too inexperienced, and honestly? He's been gone from the face of the earth for years so they just have no idea how to deal with Bruce. And if there's one thing businessmen don't like (other than losing money), it's uncertainty.
They pressure Bruce into getting a PA because "Well, Mr. Wayne you've been gone from Gotham for so long, there's so much you need to catch up on. A PA would do wonders in keeping you organized!" It's honestly just a very thinly veiled excuse to get someone to spy on Bruce. Bruce can't figure out a way to get out of it, so he's forced to go along. He rejects ever applicant that came at the recommendation of most of his Board, and while it would be great to hire someone from Gotham, this is the era before Wayne Enterprises gained its shiny and clean personality, and there's no telling if any of these applicants have been bribed by one party or another.
Surprisingly, the answer to his problems came from a business meeting with Vlad Masters.
"If you're still looking, I'd like to recommend a candidate," Vlad said. "He's the son of some good friends of mine and had worked as my own PA for some time. He's quite good." Bruce nearly missed Vlad mutter 'almost too good' under his breath, but didn't remark on it.
"Oh? Why are you handing him to the competition then?"
"Ah, the two of us had some...differences. And the boy's at that age where he wants to see more of the world. So, why not Gotham? I'll send you his resume. Just think on it."
Despite Bruce's suspicions, there wasn't anything sketchy that he could dig up on Danny Fenton. Besides, Vlad Masters was notorious in guarding his privacy, and if he recommended Fenton, well, Bruce could at least count on him not getting bribed by anyone.
#PA Danny AU#dpxdc#hope you don't mind commenter that i replied on a separate post. this is a side blog after all
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Sterekdrabbles Challenges – September 2022
[Challenge Blog] [Tag] [AO3]
For 30/09 (winter, thrill, sparkle; theme: Power)
It’s Just You and Me, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Stiles comes into an inheritance and meets a wolf.
For 30/09 (winter, thrill, sparkle)
Catch Me If You Can, sterek, g, 100w ◌ Derek and Stiles go for a run.
For 28/09 (stripe, borrow, tasty; theme: Power)
Something To Taco Bout, sterek, g, 100w ◌ Stiles is late and pays the price. It’s not all bad.
For 28/09 (stripe, borrow, tasty)
Let Me Help Warm You Up, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Stiles arrives early and deals with the cold.
For 26/09 (current, condition, injure; theme: Power)
Make It Nice and Tight, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Derek tends to Roscoe and looks forward to his reward.
For 26/09 (current, condition, injure)
Wake Up, I Need You Now, sterek, m, 100w MPREG, Omega Verse ◌ Stiles wakes Derek up early. Derek really doesn’t mind.
For 23/09 (sip, trust, proud)
here’s to your happiness, sterek, g, 100w ◌ Peter comes home to congratulate his nephew.
swallow you up, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Derek treats Stiles to a fresh meal.
For 21/09 (fade, impolite, nod)
The Bachelor Party’s Over, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Stiles and Derek make the best of a shaky start.
Reconnaissance and a Shoeless Alpha, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Derek and Stiles surveil an enemy hideout.
For 19/09 (shape, misery, pen)
keep you with me, sterek, g, 100w ◌ Stiles experiences separation anxiety.
I wish you stayed, sterek, t, 100w ◌ After a night together, Stiles is gone.
For 16/09 (greet, numerous, guard)
better call security, pre-sterek, t, 100w ◌ Stiles is assigned a new security detail.
some things don’t change, sterek, t, 100w ◌ After bringing Lydia and Jackson home, Stiles visits Derek and his pack.
For 14/09 (defective, drag, scarf)
The Bachelor’s Maid, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Derek’s sisters have a surprise for his bachelor party.
Warm Brewed Crush, pre-sterek, g, 100w ◌ Stiles searches for a warm place to work.
For 12/09 (false, innocent, escape)
you caught me (and I caught you), sterek, t, 100w ◌ Stiles speeds. Luckily, he’s pulled over by Derek.
no I can’t let you go, pre-sterek, t, 100w ◌ Stiles talks. Derek contemplates telling Stiles something.
For 09/09 (wipe, puzzle, competent)
Some Assembly Required, sterek, g, 100w ◌ Derek tries his hand at furniture assembly.
jigsaw puzzle boy, sterek, g, 100w ◌ Stiles never saw the point of jigsaw puzzles.
For 07/09 (roll, important, harbor)
Seize the Moment, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Derek didn’t expect Stiles to be so bold.
Missed Delivery, sterek, g, 100w ◌ Held captive, Stiles misses a delivery.
For 05/09 (laugh, shock, tire)
Current Situation, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Derek ignores a recommendation.
Touch the Sky, sterek, g, 100w ◌ Stiles gets needless nervous about Eli’s aerobatics.
For 02/09 (collect, learn, pull)
send me a postcard, darling, sterek, g, 100w Outsider POV ◌ The Stilinski’s receive important mail from abroad.
a gamer like me, sterek, t, 100w ◌ Stiles figures out a way to pass the time while they wait for Danny.
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Ya know, I truly wonder how long Hawk Moth rein would long if a character crossoved there. Like, I get it every single ml character is dumb, but would the crossovers also be affected? I'm pretty sure anyone with more than one brain cell can easily tell Marinette a way to deal with him. Like... the wish, since we don't really know the drawbacks and she can just wish for everything to be as Gabriel "wishes" (ie. if his wife isn't in coma, there's no plot), thus she can have her LIFE back.
As much as I want to argue it, Miraculous is sadly a show where everything is dumbed down and also made some combination of both overpowered and nerfed in order to make it "work" while also keeping the plot at a standstill whereas most other shows and stories play their characters and settings straight and have progression.
In order to make any level of crossover work without completely overwhelming or outclassing Miraculous or otherwise solving all of their problems for them and risk showing them up, people seem to do some mixture of amping up the competency and setup of the Miraculous side to make them better than how they're portrayed in canon and dumbing down the other side to make them fit in with Miraculous so they aren't complete game-breakers for the world and the whole Hawk Moth conflict.
Thor: Hello, young warriors! I am Thor, God of Thunder! Let me call my all-seeing ally, Heimdall, to help you find your foe so I can smack him around with my mighty hammer.
Doctor Strange: Hello. I'm Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme. Let me create a portal to your enemy and use my Time Stone to find the best way of defeating him.
Sailor Moon: Hello, we're the Sailor Senshi. Sailor Mercury can use her magical computer to find Hawk Moth's base and we can defeat him with the combined elemental power of the planets.
Superman: Sure, I can help. I can use my X-ray vision to search over Paris for any underground lairs and then use my super strength and ability to fly and near god-like abilities to drop him off at the police station.
Batman: I'm Batman. I can investigate Hawk Moth's identity by using the EXACT species of butterfly he's been using to transform people and pulling up records of who in the area has at any point made a purchase of said butterflies or just check out any strange building schematics for your city to see who has built a secret lair in the last twenty years and then break into his home to catch him off guard.
Joker: We're the Phantom Thieves. Give a bit while we check out Paris's version of the Metaverse where we can locate Hawk Moth's literal shadow and cause him to have a change of heart!
Static Shock: I'm Static Shock and this is my partner, Gear. He can use his backpack and super smarts to go over all footage of the akumas from various security cams in Paris over the past year and triangulate where they're coming from. Then he can take over Hawk Moth's security system and turn it against him without warning while we sneak in and I can zap him.
Robin: Hello, we're the Teen Titans. We have Cyborg, who can also check Paris's security cams to triangulate where the butterflies are coming from, as well as Raven, who is an empath and can use her powers to try to locate Hawk Moth and then transport us all to him so we can take him down.
Danny Phantom: Hello. I am Danny Phantom. I can fly as well as go invisible and intangible, so I can search the city over for this Hawk Moth and then literally just pluck the Miraculous off him before he knows it. I also have a possession ability that may or may not work on akumas and Hawk Moth himself that would allow me to find him and make him turn himself in that way.
Future Trunks: Hello, I'm Trunks Briefs and I am from the future. So I can tell you with absolute certainty that Gabriel Agreste is Hawk Moth. He's also going to force his son's girlfriend to break up with him so he can akumatize her and will accidentally result in the complete destruction of Paris and the moon. (Where were you on THAT ONE, BUNNIX?)
Dipper: Hello, I'm Dipper Pines. I have no powers, but I do have more than two functioning brain cells so I can suggest that maybe you use one of those various other incredibly overpowered Miraculous you have to just try and find out who Hawk Moth is.
Ladybug: You mean I can cheat?
All: YES!
Hawk Moth: Oh snapples.
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the boys x tough f!reader (part 2)
requested by : @dranonymous
i love this idea and i hope you all enjoy part two! :D here’s part 1 with the original request.
warnings: swearing, canon-typical violence, dwight is really cute, danny is an asshole, jake is that cute “stoic man who is actually caring and thoughtful” trope because i say so
𝐃𝐖𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃
you are so cool. like ,,,,,so cool
dwight admires you so much. you just got here and yet you are breaking pyramid head’s ankles—dodging his trail of torment left and right, the killer just can’t touch you.
and how did you feel about everything? terrified, honestly, but nobody would ever be able to tell because you didn’t let it get to you. it was like you had already been here before, because the second you learned how to do something, you had it down no problem. fixing generators came naturally, and you could also run the killer for the whole trial if you had to. teammates could easily rely on you to do whatever needed to be done.
that was what made you and dwight such a powerful duo. from the moment you met, you knew you felt comfortable around this guy. he was sweet, maybe a little timid sometimes, but he knew how to step up and be a leader for everyone despite his fears.
you both knew what to do, and you fit together like a glove. your minds worked in very similar ways, which made communicating that much easier and efficient; the second a decision needed to be made, dwight was on top of it, encouraging the teammates and helping them get on their feet. you were already ahead of them, so dwight would just nod to you, knowing you could do your job well.
of course, there were times when dwight’s anxiety got the better of him, and you had to be the one encouraging him.
dwight hated the hag. despised her. he could not stand her jumpscares when a trap was triggered, he would swear he was about to have a heart attack. he couldn’t admit this at first, but you figured it out when feng min was hooked and dwight stuck to the generator, nervously glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. he always went for the saves, so something was obviously wrong.
“dwight? why don’t you go save her?” you asked, eyeing him from your side of the generator.
he didn’t respond, looking over his shoulder again.
you decided to rescue min, but when you got back, you were going to chew dwight out until he gave you a straight answer.
you crawled up to the hook to avoid triggering a trap and gently lowered min to the ground. the two of you inched away carefully until you were far enough away to patch her wound.
“dwight, get off your ass and answer me,” you demanded (affectionately) once you were back at the generator, which was nearly finished. “what’s wrong?”
his eyes conveyed nervousness in every sense of the word; they darted all around, searching for any incoming danger. this was your first time seeing him like this, so you were confused. was he alright?
“it’s just…the hag,” he started, still fiddling with the wires. “her traps, i can’t…”
oh. was he anxious about the traps?
“i just can’t deal with them,” he finally said with difficulty. that was understandable; when they caught you off guard it definitely made you leap out of your skin.
“dwight, listen,” you said. “you’ve dealt with every other killer in this realm, haven’t you? you’ve bested the nurse, the huntress, micky myers, and even the spirit, who’s a bitch. i know hag’s traps are fucking terrifying, but you’re dwight! you are a leader, and you are good at being a leader. you can get out of here, i promise. and besides, with me here, you have nothing to worry about. i’ll kick that witch’s ass, got it?”
your very inspirational speech got him to smile. you were right, anyways—you could definitely kick the hag’s ass. what could go wrong?
nothing, actually. genuinely nothing went wrong. you took chase for the rest of the trial so that dwight didn’t have to worry about a thing, and everybody escaped with no problem. he didn’t understand how you were so good at evading capture—but perhaps you would tell him about your past eventually. you hadn’t yet decided.
back at the campfire, you and dwight comfortably sat side-by-side, patiently waiting until your next trials.
“thanks,” he said.
“for what?”
“for that very motivational speech you gave me,” he laughed.
you wiped imaginary dust off of your shoulder, giving him a confident smile. “i got your back. and man, that hag lady really is a bitch, huh? i can see why you hate her.”
that comment unintentionally caused one of dwight’s long, angry rants about his least favorite killer, and all you could do was watch him and listen with a soft grin on your lips. you’d never seen him angry before—it was adorable. made you wonder if you should just piss him off for fun sometimes.
𝐉𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊
this guy has hella respect for you
you’re independent and easy to teach, and that’s everything he could ask for.
now and then, the other survivors basically gave newbies to jake to teach them everything about the realm—they considered him the expert on all things survival. you were one of those newbies he was forced to take care of.
jake normally hated teaching new survivors more than anything, because it was never his choice and they were all so difficult. but you were different. you were responsible, reliable, and smart, and it made his job so much easier. as time went on, he grew to be quite fond of you.
word eventually got out that the new girl had managed to charm jake out of his “hermit ways,” but he insisted that it was not true (he also disagreed about the “hermit ways” part). it was never spoken of between the two of you, but it definitely floated around in the air waiting to be addressed.
it really couldn’t be ignored any longer. anytime you were seen anywhere within 24 feet of each other, the other survivors would give you looks and wiggle their eyebrows or shoot you a thumbs up—all of which were unwanted. it created a weird tension between you and jake that wasn’t there before, and you really didn’t like it.
you missed when you were first starting out, and jake had just realized how competent you are. those days were fun—he respected you a lot; you could see it in his face when he looked at you. you always knew when he was pleased and when you did stuff right, because he would have the tiniest, most subtle grin on his face, but you could see it, and it made you feel accomplished.
you knew he still respected you, but you had basically jumped the learning curve of the realm and quickly adapted to every killer, every challenge, and every task. how you did it, nobody could ever know. but you were almost sad, because there was kind of no reason for you and jake to spend a lot of time together anymore. if you did, then everybody would freak out for the wrong reasons, and it would ruin your friendship.
so what if you had a few small feelings for him? no one gave a shit—you knew jake probably wouldn’t give a shit. to him, you were just another annoying survivor he was forced to teach. besides, you didn’t have time for that kind of thing.
man, were you wrong, though. he really, really wanted to be around you, but you already knew everything, so he didn’t know what to do to spend time with you. his way of initial bonding was sharing knowledge, but that had already been done, so…what now?
then came the one trial that changed everything.
it was normal at first. the killer, blight, was doing well, so you had to step up your game. one generator was completed and he had 4 hooks on three different people—you were the only one not hooked yet.
he was after you, and you were expertly dodging every rush and swing he threw your way. unfortunately, you accidentally ran to the generator that jake was working on, and things got a little complicated.
when the blight rushed at the wall, then at you, jake ran towards you while you ran towards him—you were both looking over your shoulders—and alas, bonk. you crashed into each other.
oh, no!! how terrible!! looks like jake fell on top of you :/ what an unfortunate situation to be in /s /s /s /s /s
wowwww near proximity ! you’d never been so close before and it was awkward but nice (?)
then you remembered there was a crazy drug addict or whatever over there and he was chasing you, and the moment was ruined. jake quickly rose and pulled you up with him, and you went in opposite directions, both nervous and wide-eyed now.
lol
after that, the trial went quite south. everybody was sacrificed. perhaps the loss could be partly attributed to you and jake avoiding each other like the plague. but who knows, right?
back at the campfire, you began feeling overwhelmed by all the weird stuff happening lately, so you excused yourself to the edge of the woods to have some quiet time to yourself. a few minutes later, jake came to check on you bc he is a fucking gentleman and yes i will die for the “stoic man who is actually caring and thoughtful” trope. fuck you
it’s slightly awkward at first, but then you start talking like normal and things feel a lot better. a little bit of the tension eases away, but not completely. what the fuck do you do with feelings like this?????
you simply composed yourself as best you could. it would have to do.
now that you felt a little more normal (lie), you trekked back to the campfire to wait for your next trials side-by-side. there was no one you felt more comfortable with or more respected by than jake. he appreciated you for your competency, and that was one of the best things you could ask for.
and to your surprise, jake actually took your hand and laced your fingers with his own. and it felt nice. never in your existence would you have thought he would be okay with displaying public affection, but you smiled up at him and gave his hand a light squeeze.
maybe the entity gave him drugs.
or he just liked you that much. either one would make sense.
𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐘 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐍
danny hated you. he really did.
you were so unbothered, so calm, so good at knowing what to do. it really pissed him off.
you got so much attention from the other survivors for your skill and that really pissed him off too. it’s not like you cared or wanted it or anything, but how dare they even touch you when you so clearly belonged to danny?
…who knows wtf that even means. so anyways-
when you realized how much time danny spent chasing you in trials when he should have been patrolling generators, you began to get suspicious. especially when he would take you to the hatch and then close it in your face, watching you die to the entity. he obviously had some kind of beef with you.
you were determined to find out what he had against you, so you began to tease him a bit in chases. your favorite and most frequent phrase was something like, "can't catch me? lil baby man? lil baby? lil baby man gonna cry?" you were really testing your luck with that one, and that's why you loved it.
once, you told him his fly was down, and he actually fell for it, making you nearly keel over in laughter. you got moried without even being hooked after that.
despite the horrors that frequented this place, you were never in a crisis about it. you simply learned what had to be done, and then you did it, much to the chagrin of danny. you had skipped the big "useless baby survivor" phase, and that one was his favorite :( he loved trials with new survivors because it was so easy and fun!
but alas, from the beginning, you were always on top of things, always slamming pallets onto his head or saving teammates with a flashlight.
oh, don't even get him started on your flashlight usage. you were the absolute worst to go against--every pallet stun, boom: danny's eyes fucking burned out. every time he picks up a survivor, boom: danny's eyes fucking burned out. you were a bitch with that item.
he finally began to get so fed up with your behavior that he decided you must be taught a lesson. somehow, countless mori and tunneling and camping incidents had not even managed to bother you. you literally did not care. but he had something different in mind this time.
the realm was haddonfield, of course. all of the killers despised this map, and for good reason--you ran danny around the entire neighborhood for three generators. did he have to chase you? no. but he needed to for himself.
he finally caught you in a dead zone, rejoicing to himself as you fell to the ground in defeat. "wow, that was a good chase," you mumbled under your breath, feeling accomplished. one of your best against danny, probably.
you were expecting him to pick you up, but instead he snatched the flashlight from your grasp and chucked it as far away as he could. and before you could protest, he pulled you up to stand again and yanked you towards himself, gripping your wrists so tightly you swore it left bruises.
"what's wrong...lil baby man?" you said with a pout, trying not to laugh. "is baby man angry?"
you were slightly scared if you were being honest, but you couldn't let him know that.
danny sighed. you really didn't know when to stop, did you?
"bitch," he spat, voice dangerously quiet. "cut that shit out."
"what shit?"
he squeezed your arms tighter, provoking an "okay, okay, i get it!" from you.
"do you?"
"sure. what's the worst you could possibly do to me anyways?" after those words left your mouth, you got a weird feeling that the killer was smiling behind his mask.
"listen, uhh, danny, is it?" you said, putting as much nonchalance into your voice as you could. "i just wanna know why you hate me so much. remember that time you closed the hatch in my face? the fuck was that for?"
he frowned at the use of his name but responded regardless, "you're a little bitch, and you deserved that."
you gasped dramatically, feigning offense. "ouch. that one hurt."
"i can make you hurt a lot more," he said darkly. you probably should have been scared, but you just really couldn't take him seriously.
so you laughed. it shouldn't have been funny, but it just was and now you couldn't stop. "you're just--you--i can't--" you wheezed, shaking from the laughter. "i'm sorry, it's really not funny."
danny didn't understand you. anybody else would have been sobbing if he so much as touched them, and here you were acting like it was a joke.
what could he do if you truly were not afraid of him?
perhaps it was time to let it go.
while his guard was down, suddenly you reached above his head and plucked his mask off, revealing his face and continuing your bouts of laughter at his shocked expression.
you threw the mask in the same direction as the flashlight, composing yourself and putting your hands on your hips. "you look pretty nice," you said, nodding.
wow. what the hell was danny supposed to do with you? perhaps the only completely unbothered, completely unserious survivor? he knew you were smart, and you knew what you were doing. he didn't even want to kill you anymore, you were just that fascinating.
that trial ended in you standing at the exit gate, your finger and your thumb in the shape of an L on your forehead. danny couldn’t care less at this point--he was done with your shit. but somehow he still liked you, and this definitely would not be the last time you saw him without his mask.
#requests#fruggo writes#dead by daylight#dbd#dbd x reader#jake park x reader#jake park#danny johnson x reader#ghostface x reader#dwight fairfield#dwight fairfield x reader#dead by daylight x reader#dbd headcanons
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Always In My Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Alyssa Brooks)
A/N: On today’s episode of ‘I have no idea wtf I’m doing’, we have something that I cooked up because I had terrible WiFi and no other app but Google docs would open up.
Trope: Fluff, but a tiny bit of angst?
Rating: General
Word Count: 2.3K
Warning(s): Mentions of character death
Summary: Their son has a very important question to ask.
——————————
The delicious aroma of chicken and rice wafted through the Brooks-Ramsey household. The couple worked side by side in the kitchen as they had all those years ago, the only difference being that it was now a dinner for five and not just two.
Allison Dolores Brooks-Ramsey came into their lives nine years ago, and while it was earlier than they would have wanted, they didn’t regret a second of their lives ever since they first heard her voice.
The twins on the other hand, were planned, but nothing had prepared them for the chaos that Nathan and Natalie would bring. A new broken object every week, a dozen fights for the TV every day, and yet were nothing short of tiny tornadoes when they joined forces.
It couldn’t be more perfect.
“What time did Jackie and Emilia say that they would bring the girls back?”
“6:30, I think.”
“Ah. So we have time till 7:00.” They shared a knowing smile. Two aunts taking their nine and six year old nieces to the mall meant a complete raid of the toy store, and a new guitar.
“You need to stop letting everyone spoil the girls just because you have a soft spot for them, Ethan. Ally’s grown old enough to understand that she has her daddy wrapped around her finger, and we don’t need Nat coming to that realisation as well.”
“I don’t- I can’t believe you would accuse me of not loving all my children equally!”, he exclaimed in mock offense.
“Mhmm. So why did I have to come up with an explanation to tell Nathan why his dad wasn’t on board with ordering dessert when he asked for it, but relented once his sisters kept bugging him for another five minutes?”
He opened his mouth in protest, but decided against saying anything for his own good. “Well what can I say? They’ve inherited their mother’s persuasiveness. And I can’t really say no to you, can I?”
Alyssa’s lips curved upwards at that. The playful look in her husband’s eyes caused her to finally break into a grin. “At least you’re self-aware.” Stuffing the rice into the bird she added, “But I can’t exactly tell our son that his dad is too in-love with his mom that he sees her in his daughters and hence can’t say no to them. He’d gag in disgust.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head in the crook of her neck. “That he would. Alright I’ll try a little harder to resist their charms. Wouldn’t want my only son to end up hating me.” He said it without a hint of worry over it becoming true someday. Over the years, he’d learned to put aside his fears of not being a good father, and with the help of some therapy, and Alyssa’s unwavering love and support, he’d locked up his insecurities in a box and let it sink to the bottom of the ocean.
They took the stuffed chicken and put it in the oven, washed their hands and plopped down on the couch for some rare downtime.
“Crap.”
“Everything okay?”
“Fred’s mom got called in, so she’s dropping Nate off on her way to work.”
Ethan sighed. “There goes the hour I planned to spend with my wife, who I barely get to spend enough time with these days.”
“I swear, you were never this busy when you were chief. I have no idea why my workload’s ten times bigger.”
“I do.” Ethan smiled with pride. “One usually does have a lot of work when they’re at the front lines of the battle for making free healthcare accessible for every single person in the country. My brilliant wife, though she could choose to leave most of the work to her very competent team, opts to take it all upon herself. So that’s probably the cause behind all the extra workload she complains about.”
She smirked and perched herself onto his lap. “Well your very brilliant wife also knows that you called my team very competent just to avoid hurting my feelings, and that you and I both know that they’ll be running around like headless chickens without me taking care of things.”
“I know, love. But you can still make them do a little more instead of working yourself to the bone while still making sure that you have at least one meal with the kids every day.”
She sighed. “Yeah, to make sure that they don’t forget what I look like.” She leaned in closer. “Besides, are we really going to spend our last few minutes of peace talking about work?”
Just as she uttered the words, the door burst open, and Nathan kicked off his shoes and jumped onto the couch as Alyssa slid down from Ethan’s lap. She shot him a look that very clearly meant What did I just say?
Ethan gave her an apologetic look and ruffled his son’s hair. “Hey buddy. How was your day at Fred’s? I know you wanted to spend more time with him.”
“I did, and we were just about to open his new LEGO set when Mrs. Watson told us that she had to run up to her office for some emergency meeting.”, he pouted. “But it was a nice day. We watched Thor: Ragnarok and Luca, and we would’ve watched another movie if his dad didn’t tell us that two movies were enough for a day.”
Alyssa shot him a mildly stern look. “Well he was right. You’re too young to have movie marathons just yet. Two are more than enough, unless you want to have a headache.”
“But mom, I’m not too young! I’m a big boy! I can swing along the monkey bars at the park faster than Natalie, and soon I’ll swing across buildings just like Spider-Man!”
“Well Spider-Man got bitten by a yucky spider before he swung across buildings. Do you want to be bitten by a gross and poisonous spider?”
“Mommy, not all spiders are gross and poisonous. Dad told me that when I was four and got scared of them at the zoo.”
She rolled her eyes. Leave it to her husband to convince her kids that insects were anything short of creepy and disgusting. In reality, they were, but as someone who ran a mile away at the sight of a butterfly, she wasn’t going to accept that.
“That’s right, Nate. Some of them are certainly very poisonous and dangerous, but that doesn’t mean that you should be scared of them. If you maintain your distance and admire them from afar, there should be no problem at all.”, he said with a pointed look at Alyssa, who just huffed in annoyance.
Nathan giggled, his brown eyes lighting up with amusement. He loved watching his parents playfully bicker. It was way better than seeing them- ugh, kiss.
“We were pretending to be superheroes and Fred used his full name for his pretend name cause it sounded cool, and it is. Fredrick Anthony Watson sounds like something from that show you and mom watch with the guys in the stuffy suits.”
“When did you see us watching the show with the guys in the stuffy suits?”, asked Ethan with a slight hint of concern. Whatever he and Alyssa watched on their free nights was definitely not kid-friendly.
“I don’t remember. Maybe a few months ago.”
Their year old puppy, Ivy, woke up from her nap and bounced into the living room to jump onto her favourite person. Nathan squealed with joy as the fluffy hair of the dog tickled his nose.
Ethan and Alyssa smiled at each other. Getting another dog after Jenner was a decision that took a lot of convincing, but their kids were responsible enough and it was impossible to say no after two years of constant pestering.
“Fred told me that he was named after his great-grandfather William, and that he was this really cool guy who saved a bunch of guys from getting mugged in a dark, dark alley.” He turned to look at his parents as Ivy snuggled into his lap. “Who was I named after mom?”
The question caught her off guard, and she glanced at Ethan for backup.
When they knew that they were having a boy, they immediately knew what to name him. They hadn't, however, anticipated Nathan Daniel Brooks-Ramsey to ask such a question this soon.
Seeing his wife at a loss for words, Ethan spoke up. “C’mere Nate.” He pulled him closer and pressed a kiss atop his head. “We once had a friend named Daniel. He worked at the hospital as a nurse, and he was close to your mom and Aunt Sienna when they were interns.”
Having found her voice, Alyssa joined in. “He was an amazing friend. He was the only nurse in the hospital who helped me out when things got messy, and cheered up Aunt Sienna when no one else could. He’d join us for picnics and movie nights, and you could always count on him if you needed something at the hospital.” She took a deep breath, and Ethan nodded. “Things were going well, but then in my second year, something really bad happened.”
“Oh no.”
“There was this bad guy, who wanted his revenge on another bad guy, and he was ready to risk his own life, and the lives of everyone around him to do so.”
“That’s horrible! Who would want to do something like that?”
Ethan smiled wistfully. “A lot of people in this world actually do. You’re a good person, so you know that it’s wrong. But some people aren’t, and they don’t care about other people getting hurt because of their actions. That night at the hospital, Danny tried to tell the bad guy that it was wrong, and to think things through. But he didn’t listen, and did something that hurt both himself, Danny, Uncle Raf, another friend of ours, and your mom.”
His little eyebrows creased with worry, Nathan asked, “What happened then?”
“He… he died. Along with our other friend, Bobby. Do you remember what we once told you about an autopsy?” Nathan nodded his head. “Well Danny asked for his body to be autopsied, and thanks to him, we were able to find out what was wrong with mom and Uncle Raf.”
He fell silent for a moment, remembering the horrors of the day, and how eternally grateful he was to Danny for being the reason he didn’t lose everything. He couldn’t imagine a life without the love of his life and his children, and he wouldn’t have either if not for the sacrifices that were made.
He looked up at Alyssa, and she squeezed his hand in support. “We’ll tell you more when you’re older, but to make it short, you’re named after a hero too. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have you, your sisters, or mom here with me.”
Nathan wriggled out of his dad’s arms, and set Ivy down so he could hug his mom as tightly as he could.
“Well… if you can hear me Mr. Daniel, I just wanna thank you. Thanks for saving my mom. I love her so much and I’m so thankful that I got to meet her because of what you did. I wish I could’ve met you, you sound like a really cool person, and I’m sure you were. So yeah, thanks. A lot.”
Alyssa’s eyes glimmered with unshed tears, and she held her son as she expressed her silent thanks along with Ethan.
What they had was precious.
Fifteen years had passed since they first met, and yet each day they fell in love a little more like they did when they held hands for the first time in the dim light of the NICU watching over little Ethan, or when she finally got to see the real him the first time she visited his place; the first time in years he let someone know a little of the worries residing deep in his heart.
With all the odds against them, it was a miracle that they survived, even more so that they managed to raise three perfect children who had more love to share than they could ever comprehend.
And they’d never forget all the reasons that made it possible for them to survive.
Ding!
The timer on the oven went off, and they got to their feet to get the chicken.
“Was he a good cook dad?”
“I… don’t really know, Nate. Your mom knew him better than I did.”
“Well there was this one time where he helped Aunt Sienna bake an amazing cake, so I guess he knew his way around the kitchen.”, Alyssa recollected fondly. It was for Jackie’s birthday, one of the few nights where the competition was completely forgotten about.
Nathan’s face melted into a glowing smile. “I love cake. So I guess I really would’ve loved him.”
She mirrored his radiant expression. “You definitely would’ve.”
“Why don’t you go play with Ivy while mom and I get the food ready? You can help us with the dessert later.”
“We’re having dessert?!”
Ethan grinned at his son’s excitement. “You bet we are.”
“Yay!” They watched as Nathan ran off to go play fetch with Ivy in their enormous backyard.
Ethan pulled Alyssa in for a sweet, lingering kiss as soon as he was out of sight.
“You’ve been wanting to do that for a while now hmm?”
“Something like that.”, he murmured as they broke apart.
She could see the ever-increasing strands of silver in his brown hair, and the faint wrinkles along the sides of his forehead, but his clear blue eyes were just as loving and devoted as she remembered from over a decade ago.
“We have a pretty good life, don’t we?”
Ethan kissed her again. “No, we have the perfect life.”
——————————
A/N 2: Aaaand I’m going MIA again. Honestly though, to everyone who’s read so far, thank you so much for sticking around. Means the world💙
P.S: I finally chose Chyler Leigh as my face claim!
Taglist: @whimsicallywayward15 @aleynareads @starrystarrytrouble @dxnicaramsey @decadentwinnerjudgedream @ilikemenbutonlyethanramsey @rookiefromedenbrook @eramsey28 @the-pale-goddess @ohchoices @wellhelloramsey @mvalentine @swiftlydarcy @utterlyinevitable @akshara16 @sushiharrington @drethanramslay @lion-ess24 @whippedforethanfreakingramsey @drariellevalentine @perriewinklenerdie @blossomanarchy @stateofgracious @takemyopenheart @open-heart-ramseyyy @maurine07 @udishaman @queencarb @ethanramseylover @rookiemarsswiftie @aworldoffandoms @lsvdw-blog @n03lia @openheartfanfics @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfan @jamespotterthefirst @senseofduties
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Not a prompt but what’s your opinion on how the other girls think/feel about Lou? In my opinion, Amita is Slightly scared/intimidated by her. Constance looks up to her and wants to be like her, Daphne I think has a crush on her, Nine thinks she’s cool and Debbie is completely in love and obsessed with her. 
I’d pretty much agree with what you’re saying in a nutshell! There’s going to be variations in different fics and such but in my mind—
Debbie: Lou is one of the few people that she trusts when it comes to anything—personal or professional. Current relationship or not, they definitely have a past where they’ve worked together as partners, run the same jobs as part of a larger team, maybe even competed against each other in some way. And in any world, I’d say they’ve hooked up/had a casual sort of friends with benefits personal relationship at the least but more likely had an even deeper connection/couple relationship that could’ve blossomed out of that or happened naturally. I think Debbie values Lou and Danny’s opinions above all others and Lou’s the highest (because she still wants to one up Danny and Lou is the person who amps Debbie up and sees how amazing she is/can be). I think she’s jealous of Lou’s swagger and confidence in herself because Deb is secretly insecure though she doesn’t carry herself that way, and she only really shows her vulnerability/lets her guard down around Lou.
Tammy: With Tammy, I think there’s a pinch of intimidation left but she’s pretty much gotten to that point where she can go up to Lou and say, cut the bullshit, I know you, but I think it definitely took time/a history to get there. She definitely has a respect for Lou but at the same time both Lou and Debbie drive her crazy and she feels the need to parent them a little. When Lou or Debbie are stubborn about something or each other even, Tammy is usually the tiebreaker/mom/therapist/teacher involved. I think she has a “you better protect her” attitude to Lou about Debbie but the same goes in reverse.
Nine: I like all of the headcanons about Lou being a parent figure of sorts for Nine. I think Nine is quiet/laid back with this sort of mutual respect for Lou that Lou holds for her. They both have their side hustles/businesses and I think Lou has great respect for Nine’s hacking/tech smarts and is in awe of her but Nine is impressed by Lou in return. I definitely get this bromance/mutual respect vibe from them. And Nine loves that while Debbie is “in charge”, Lou is the only one who can get away with secretly calling some shots like bringing Nine on board knowing that Debbie trusts her and will just go along with it no matter what kind of a show she puts on and Nine likes to use this to her advantage.
Constance: Con is most definitely Lou’s favorite adult child. I am all about Constance calling Lou dad or stories where Lou pulls her off the street. Any variation of that. She is definitely the team member who would describe Lou as being “cool” and looking up to her in more of a style/personality way than her success as a criminal/business person etc. I think they share music taste and the thrill of adrenaline and Con is just enamored with seeing an adult who still “gets it” and keeps reliving her glory days throughout her life and it inspires Constance in a way. She definitely really values Lou’s opinion.
Amita: I think Amita is a bit intimidated by Lou, and more so when she’s approached by a team dynamic of Lou and Debbie. I don’t think she’s scared. She likes her. But she’s definitely like holy shit this woman could snap me in half if she wanted but also I give her mad respect. She may even be a bit wary of Lou because it seems like she has a past with the Oceans and their line of work but by now, Lou seems to have passed her tests of trust.
Rose: Rose is ABSOLUTELY scared of Lou but like the *mark me down as scared and horny* meme. Let’s be real. She’s an anxious bean when it comes to meeting anyone so someone as smooth and skilled and confident as Lou is going to terrify her because it’s the opposite of how she presents herself. She likes Lou and she even wishes she was able to be more like her, but I think she gets nervous easily around her but in a way that she wants to do well/impress her.
Daphne: I think Daphne is flirty with Lou, yes, but not out of a real crush, more just, this is the person in this group I have selected as the most attractive so why wouldn’t she want me in return? (Though I doubt Lou would give her the time of day or it would be meaningless flirting on par with how lou interacts with all the other crew members but Daphne misinterprets that) Her talk when Lou and Deb reveal the whole plan and pinning it on Becker seems very in line with how she views Lou: cool, glamorous in this dark and mysterious way that’s different from her fame but intrigued her more like she’s doing a character study than wants to actually be her friend/date her though.
#queue#lou miller#oceans 8#lou x debbie#loubbie#debbie ocean#debbie x lou#personal#oceans eight#heist wives#blackacre13#my writing#ask#ask me#ask me things#daphne kluger#rose weil#tammy#nine ball#constance#amita#lou x deb#lou and deb#lou miller x debbie ocean#ocean’s eight#ocean’s 8#writing ask#writing request#headcanon#canons
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Almost was never enough...
Can we still be friends?
An Open Heart AU
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry, Christa Rhinefield is my own personality created although (PBs MC in relation to canon)
Pairing: Christa Rhinefield x Ethan Ramsey, Bryce Lahela , Harper Emery
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Sadness, Anger, Sex, the usual...
Word Count: 1,800 approximately
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She had never expected that when Bryce returned from his mandatory tour of duty that she would break both of their hearts. Their former unspoken feelings never received closure. They had made the purest form of love, almost to confess their emotions, only for him to receive his summons for deployment... It was the worst possible thing that could have ever happened... She had given up on her pursuit of her fantasy of having the Dr. Ethan Ramsey and had thrown herself completely into Bryce’s affections... never realizing how deep they actually ran...
It would be then that Ethan felt that he should give in to his desire for her... Rumors of her involvement with Bryce had prevented him from allowing them to progress... along with the fact that she reported to him...
But before he could act in the way that he truly desired, he overheard other residents discussing their beliefs of how Christa always maintained her top spot on the roster. They had watched her remain under the top twenty five candidates for the opening on the Diagnostics Team for weeks... Witnessing her downward spiral and self doubt over her choice to become a physician... “She’s fucking Ramsey... she has to be. Don’t you see how he fawns over her every “success”?”
That angry twitch of his brow began at the air quotes, but he began to calm as the male nurse Danny interrupted them. “I think if Dr. Ramsey were to walk up on this conversation, not only would you to shit yourselves, you’d be worked like criminals performing free labor until you didn’t have the energy to think, let alone compete for a spot on his Diagnostics Team... I hear some monitors beeping, how about checking those out before I have to file a complaint...”
He looks at the offer letter in his hands that he was about to discard, and decides that giving her space would be better than hindering her career. So he tucks the letter into his pocket. He makes a show of walking up to the nurse’s station to ask Danny for Christa’s whereabouts, the two residents speed walking once they hear his voice ... assuming that he had heard their conversation, but not giving him the opportunity to scorn their behavior.
He finds Christa in the patient’s room, she looks tattered from all of the strain his assignments had placed on her... Feeling a sharp pang in his heart, he tells her that she can end her shift early... that he will finish up her case load. She doesn’t hesitate, because she feels as worn as she looks. He can see in her nervous look that he has ridden her way harder than the other residents, and not in the way that he wished that he could.
He couldn’t have any regrets over pushing her to excel to her potential... She was beautiful and he found her irresistible, yes, but he knew that she could become much greater than even he had if he gave her proper motivation... He wouldn’t let her waste her talents if it was within his control.
Christa sends a quick text message to Sienna and Jackie to see if they are at Donahue’s... She could use a couple of drinks to unwind, wanting the sleep assist that the alcohol would provide... If she was honest, she really needed the company. Her thoughts wouldn’t allow Bryce out of her head. Their last shift worked together had many supply closet foreplay sessions, with a lunch break spent locked away in the Resident’s Lounge, to a very daring sexcapade on the helipad after much bribing of the security guard to redirect the angle of the rooftop cameras’ views...
Remembering that last kiss for safe travels as she headed up to her patient’s room.
~~~~~
Now he had returned, immediately seeking her out to propose marriage... never wanting to be separated again... She never said the word, “I can’t,” she just began listing off the things that had transpired in his absence... Once the name Ethan fell from her lips, his heart immediately cracked, slowly shattering until his chest felt hollow and void of any pulse from his beating heart... Either it was racing at hummingbird speed, too fast to be felt or heard, or he had died and could still hear the sweet melody of her voice... even confessing her love for another man...
His mind couldn’t stop replaying visions of Christa straddled atop Ethan, playfully grinding as they talked about what they needed from each other before giving all of themselves to each other... his anger spiking, taking it out on the punching bag she’d bought him as a gift to help relieve the days’ woes... His punches didn’t cease until he felt the coolness from the blood building on his bruised knuckles... realizing only then that he had to pull himself together... His hands were his life...
His life... Why had it come to be solely his when he was just offering it to Christa to share for their lifetime...? As he slowly removed the wrapping, finally pulling his hands free of the gloves and icing them, he could hear her hoarse words, “I am so glad that you have surgical precision... because Babe... the way you handle me... that’s some rich ass cosmetic surgeon not fucking up reconstruction type of shit! It’s like I am a new person after each time with you...”
The feel of her pressed into him as he laughed softly at how she always praised his skill as a surgeon, but never let him forget how valued a lover he was to her. It was what he loved most about her, she stroked his ego even though she teased him that he needed a clone to be able to contain all of the cockiness he exuded alone... The truth was... He knew that he was an excellent surgeon, he just doubted himself as a lifelong companion. He also knew that he was a very skilled lover, he just had doubts about being a good person... a person deserving of someone like Christa.
~~~~~~
She lay in his bed, starting her own foreplay as her mind raced over everything that she wanted to do to him... over everything she wanted him to do to her... Tonight wouldn’t include his fetish, just pure gentle lovemaking... that was her mood as she ran her fingers around her clit imaging his tongue tracing circles before feeling it slide delicately and intently between her thighs as he slowly peeled them apart to make room for him to lay lazily as he took his time drawing every ounce of desire from her... listening for every draw of breath, moaning of his name, plead for him to go where she was fired up the most...
She truly hadn’t even noticed what was happening on the 80 inch high performance television before her, mounted above a beautiful faux fireplace flickering and capturing her attention... her heat dancing through her almost in the same patterns as the flame prancing about, holding her in a trance as her imagination took her to the places he would once he joined her. Her eyes would roll towards the screen but immediately fall back to the flame...
“Christa, is this what you watch while I shower? See... this is exactly why I don’t allow you in the kitchen... It couldn’t be Gordon Ramsey or Emeril Lagasse, hell even Rachael Ray? I think it’s been too long since you’ve been punished.... Bedroom! NOW!”
“See, you always know what I want Ramsey!” Her hands moving away from center, she puts her fingers in his mouth, him biting them playfully before licking away the apparent need building within her.
“Oh, so we’re back to Ramsey? Okay, I see exactly how you want this night to go!”
“Is big bad Ramsey gonna crop me?”
“Christa... I’m gonna give you just one warning... You may not like where this goes if you don’t start behaving...”
Lip biting as a promise to continue being naughty, he pins her against the bedroom door, biting her lip harder than she expected before turning her, “Hands up, you need thorough frisking.” The thrill in her eyes as she peers at him over her shoulder sets him to new heights, roughly kissing her then pressing her face against the door as he runs his hands through her tresses, “Spread wide for me, Rookie...” His sultry whisper sends her into a tizzy of anticipation.
“And if I don’t?” Expecting his every movement, she closes her eyes, relishing in the feel of his knee prying her legs apart, but more in the feel of his thigh grazing her minge, having been dressed in only his large white tee. She writhes along his thigh as his knee presses against the door, her moisture giving a clue that she needed his body in any form right now... He will allow this simple pleasure before he gives her no room for movement, taking full control to drive her nerves to their ends with pleasure in the slowest manner possible.
“Turn around, I need to search your front, then it’s to the bed spread eagle... is that clear Rookie?”
In her euphoric state, she hazily responds, “Crystal...”
“Oh Rookie, I plan to call your name all night, but I am positive that it’s Christa... To the bed with you!”
The door swings open, sounding against the stopper, she turns to run for the bed, but he pulls her back to him, kissing her with a desire and smolder in his eyes that tells her sleep won’t be had by either of them tonight... Taking her hand, he allows her to feel how attracted he is to her as he slowly guides her to the bed... The tickle from him slowly removing the t-shirt from her, his fingers finding her completely naked underneath, sends cold shivers every place he ghosts or lightly touches.
Bumping the mattress, he stops, taking in the beauty of her backwards crawl teasingly summoning him towards her... Once center, she lays down slowly teasing her breasts, and slowly easing her legs apart, taking her splayed position as instructed, curved enough to watch his crawl to her... eyes dropping from his face to his very erect one-eyed monster curving and searching like an anaconda descending on its prey, water dowsing along the way.
~~~~~
Meanwhile...
Bryce lay in his bed, thinking of how he almost had the love of his lifetime... Would they have made it if he hadn’t been called to duty? Would he let go so easily? She was definitely worth fighting for... Or would he just let fate decide?
He had heard that Ramsey ran off to the Amazon... How did he beat him out for Christa’s heart after a stunt like that? He concedes that he just never really had a chance... Friends with benefits is all that they would and could have been... but it doesn’t hurt any less...
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#choices open heart#@choices fanfic#christa rhinefield#bryce lahela#open heart choices#almost#missed opportunity#@secretaryunpaid#@Becoming Mrs. Dalton
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Quick summary: Phantom gives Fenton romantic advice and gets caught in a trap of his own making
Fenton’s plans to bury his face in his pillow until Jazz or Maddie dragged him downstairs for supper died, decayed, withered away when he stepped into his room and found his pillow already occupied beneath the head of one Danny Phantom. Fenton groaned and slammed the door shut behind him. Phantom, his one-time other half, full time nuisance, looked up from the space magazine he had stolen from Fenton’s desk.
“What are you doing here?” Fenton demanded. “I thought we agreed this is my room?”
“Your room,” Phantom agreed easily. He looked back down at the magazine. “Tucker said you were turned down by one of the girls at your school. I thought I would visit you, make sure you’re okay, but now I can see you just need to be kept from moping.”
Fenton glared at him, but Phantom pretended to be engrossed in the magazine and thus blind to Fenton’s irritation. Fenton scowled and tried a different tact. “Did Tucker also say why she turned me down?”
“No. He wouldn’t even tell me who she was. Who was it?”
Fenton crossed his arms and scowled at his computer desk. That was at least one embarrassment Tucker had saved him from, not that it would do much good. Phantom would find out eventually. “Because she didn’t want me, she wants you.”
Phantom snorted. “Well, that narrows it down to just about everybody.”
Fenton forced a harsh laugh. “Wow, hey! Just rub it in! I needed a little humility today, thank you.”
Phantom sighed and finally lowered the magazine, laying it down on his chest. “This is not my fault, stop trying to pick a fight with me.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Yes! It is! Just!” Fenton uncrossed his arms and gestured both hands at Phantom. “Look at you!”
It just wasn't fair. From the casual curl of his spectral tail to the broad shoulders beneath a skin-tight jumpsuit to the effortless way his white hair had, at some point, artfully framed his eyes, his face, Phantom looked…hot, even to Fenton. If Fenton took a picture of him right now, the other kids would kill him for it.
“And you’re not even trying,” Fenton finished, groaning the words. “It’s so unfair.” Phantom cocked his head to the side. His white hair slid across his forehead, causing Fenton’s fingers to twitch. He snapped, “Stop that!”
Phantom lifted an eyebrow and his smile quirked at one corner. “I’m not doing anything.”
He even made laughing at Fenton look attractive.
Fenton crossed his arms again. “That just makes it worse. We’re supposed to be reflections of each other, why are you so much more…” He trailed off, searching for the word he wanted.
“Attractive?” Phantom suggested smugly. He sighed then and shrugged his shoulders. “I doubt it’s me. Humans just seem to have some sort of draw to ghosts, I think.”
“It’s you,” Fenton mumbled, refusing to look at him. “Trust me, it’s you.”
Phantom considered that, the words hanging in the silence between them for several long seconds. He morphed his tail into legs and sat up on the bed. He tossed the magazine onto Fenton’s nightstand. “Perhaps I can give you some advice?”
Fenton snorted. “What good is advice going to do?”
“It might help. Come on, sit down.” Phantom crisscrossed his legs under himself and patted the mattress invitingly.
Fenton warily eyed the sheets in front of Phantom. “She already turned me down,” he said. “It’s a little late for advice.”
“Fenton,” Phantom groaned, “stop being shy and get over here.”
Fenton blushed. “I’m not being shy!” He stomped toward the bed to prove it. “I just think this is pointless!” He flopped onto the mattress and crisscrossed his legs under himself, mirroring Phantom as they faced each other. “What do you know about romance anyway? You haven’t dated anyone, have you?”
Phantom only smiled knowingly. An “I won’t answer because it’s more fun to keep you guessing” smile.
Fenton grumbled under his breath and hunched his shoulders.
“That,” Phantom said as he grabbed one of Fenton’s shoulders, “is the first thing to go.” He pushed back on Fenton’s shoulder. “Sit up straight.”
“What does it matter?” Fenton whined even as he forced himself to straighten his back. “You’re the only one here.”
“Thanks for that,” Phantom said dryly. He shook his head. “It’s a matter of habit, Fenton. The more you do it, the more natural it will feel. It’s an easy fix that is healthier and more attractive. You will look more confident. Confidence is key.”
Fenton blew out a breath and nodded. “Yeah. Okay, okay. I guess yours is always straight.” He looked at the broad line of Phantom’s shoulders and then away again. “What else?”
Phantom moved his hand from Fenton’s shoulder to his hair. “This.” Phantom ran his fingers through Fenton’s hair, and Fenton fought back a reflexive shiver.
“It’s not that different from yours,” Fenton complained. “Except that it’s black.”
“Exactly! It’s black.” Phantom pointedly shook his white hair around. “My hair is white, and it glows. It looks soft. It will always only look soft. Yours could look soft if you fluff it up more, run your fingers through it, make it look inviting, or you can smooth it out and make it shine.” Phantom paused. His fingers tugged a little on Fenton’s hair, and Fenton bowed his head a little to accommodate him. “It’s already trying to shine a little. It could look really pretty…”
“Thanks,” Fenton said, somewhat absently. He wasn’t really interested in fixing up his hair. “There’s no way I can compete with your perfect hair, though.”
“We are not competing.”
Fenton snorted. “That’s a relief.” He looked down at his ankles, tugging on the rim of his sock. “I would hate to keep losing to you all the time.”
Phantom sighed. “Have you considered, perhaps, that she isn’t worth it?”
Fenton pressed his lips together and didn’t reply.
“What was your approach?”
Fenton glanced up. “What?”
“How did you ask her out?”
Fenton shrugged. “I just…did?” Phantom’s fingers moved through his hair again, brushing across his scalp. It felt good. A little too good. Fenton moved his head back and Phantom’s hand fell away. “Does it matter?”
“It can.” Phantom untucked one leg and braced his elbow on his raised knee. Fenton cursed him in his head because of course Phantom would find a way to look attractive just by sitting. “Everyone has barriers to their heart. There are a couple ways for them to lower those barriers. The first and easiest is through attraction. If they’re attracted to you, that’s one barrier down, and they’re more likely to give you a chance.”
Fenton snorted and turned his head away.
Phantom’s fingers touched Fenton’s chin and turned his head back to face him. “You are hotter than you realize, Fenton. You just need confidence.”
Phantom’s fingers were lingering on his chin, so Fenton lowered his eyes instead, looking down and to the side.
“This is how many at your school have tried to catch my attention,” Phantom continued. “Especially Paulina. They think if I find them attractive, I will seek them out, but there are so many trying to catch me, my barriers have to be stronger than that. If it was Paulina you asked out…she would be the same. Was it…?”
Fenton kept staring off to the side and didn’t answer.
Phantom blew out a breath. His fingers finally left Fenton’s chin. “Well. If it were me, I would require more than attraction. Friendship is a suitable way to test waters because few people are willing to lower their defenses to strangers. Just understand a friendship is very different from a relationship and you can’t simply trade one for the other. You might even find you don’t like her as a girlfriend once you know her as a friend.”
“And after all that?” Fenton looked at his other half again. “What about that approach thing?”
Phantom made a face but shrugged. “It’s sort of the same concept. You want her to feel comfortable when you ask. You want her to want you when you ask. Whoever she is, if you just ask her in front of others, she’s going to be embarrassed and on guard. Your best bet is to wait until you’re alone, create an intimate atmosphere, and then propose a date.”
“What?” Fenton smiled crookedly. “Like invite her to my room, sit on the bed with her, and talk about romantic things?”
Phantom caught his reference and widened his eyes. He glanced around, seeming to notice for the first time that the sun was setting, that they were arm’s length apart, that the room was almost perfectly silent. He laughed easily, though, and reflected Fenton’s crooked smile. “I guess so. Give it a shot, then.”
Fenton’s smile faded. “What?”
“Pretend I’m the girl you wanted to ask out.”
Fenton frowned and leaned back. “No.”
Phantom’s crooked smile gained a sharper, mocking edge. “Shy, Fenton?”
“No!”
“Do you need me to show you how?”
Fenton’s cheeks burned and he glared at Phantom. “My ‘barriers’ just shot up and gained steel reinforcements.”
Phantom snickered a moment before shaking his head. “I can lower them again.”
“No, you can’t.”
“I can.”
“Nope.”
Phantom’s smile spread into a wide grin. “Alright. Watch me then.”
He slid his leg out, untucking it from underneath him, and pushed himself onto his knees. Fenton set his hands on the bed behind him and started to push himself backward, but Phantom was a ghost and much faster. He levitated off the bed and flew toward Fenton. His arms wrapped around Fenton’s shoulders, his legs around his waist, holding him in place. It wasn’t necessary. Fenton had frozen in place the moment he felt Phantom’s weight land on his thighs.
Phantom leaned into him and pressed their cheeks together, lips sliding toward Fenton’s ear. “Do you wanna go out tonight, Fenton?” he whispered.
Fenton remained frozen in place, his heart leaping into his throat.
Phantom’s shoulders shook where they pressed against Fenton’s, and Fenton stiffened. Right. Phantom was playing with him, like always. Teasing was Phantom’s favorite pastime, he wasn’t actually serious, no matter how intimate it felt to have Phantom in his lap. Fenton pushed his hands between their chests and shoved the ghost backward as hard as he could. Phantom fell onto the bed, laughing and moaning a dramatic lament. His legs were still locked around Fenton’s waist, his butt was still cradled between Fenton’s crossed legs, and Fenton, his face flaming and no doubt redder than it had ever been, began tugging at Phantom’s legs, trying to make him let go. Phantom seemed intent on holding onto him for as long as possible just to make Fenton more flustered.
“Rejected!” Phantom moaned dramatically, one hand pressed against his forehead. “By my own other half! Who will love me if I cannot even love myself?”
“Dude, I hate you so much right now!” Fenton groaned. He gave up on Phantom’s legs and rose onto his own knees above him, inadvertently raising Phantom’s lower half because the stupid ghost wouldn’t let go. “You made your point, let go!”
Phantom grinned up at him, white hair wild, green eyes bright. “What point was that again?”
That you can make my heart stop without even trying, Fenton thought but didn’t say. Would never say.
He groaned and fell onto the bed beside him, forcing Phantom to turn onto his side. They faced each other on the bed, Phantom still snickering. Fenton found something inside him responding to the longing buried deep within. His heart still beat fast, there was a nervous, anxious fluttering sensation in his stomach, but Fenton still reached for Phantom’s face. He had had dreams about cupping Phantom’s cheek before, but under this pretense, he was finally able to do it, sliding fingers toward Phantom’s ear, brushing a few errant strands of perfect white hair aside.
Phantom’s laughter trailed off.
Confidence, Fenton told himself, staring into the green eyes only a few inches away from his own. He said I’m hotter than I realize. I can do this. I want this.
“Fenton?” Phantom asked softly.
Fenton took a deep breath and whispered, “Go out with me?”
Phantom stared at him. His mouth opened, but he couldn’t seem to force a word out. He just stared into Fenton’s eyes, seemingly unable to look away.
Fenton’s confidence…broke. He forced a laugh and lifted his hand from Phantom’s cheek. “What? Did I do it wrong?”
“I…” Bright green light flushed Phantom’s face. “No!” His legs released Fenton’s waist and he began to scoot backward, pulling his left leg out from beneath Fenton’s waist. “No! That was…that was great! I—I don’t know why she turned you down? You seem to have a knack for this.”
Fenton pushed himself onto his elbow to help Phantom pull his leg out. He frowned, though, watching Phantom. He had never seen his other half behave so erratic. He wasn’t even looking at Fenton anymore. “Are you okay?”
“Fine!” Phantom finally met Fenton’s eyes and flashed a bright, false grin. “Everything is fine! Why? Are you okay?”
“Ye-yes?” Fenton replied, even more unsure now. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, you just got rejected by whoever it was you asked out, and I only came here to find out who it was and make sure you were okay, and if you are then…” Phantom trailed off. He stared at Fenton.
There was a thick, somewhat frantic tension in the air, and Fenton forced a laugh, trying to dispel it. “Dude, you look like you’re having an epiphany or something. Do you need me to call Jazz?”
“No!” Phantom stared at Fenton a moment longer and then looked away, shoving a hand into his hair. “Maybe...?” He shook his head. “I should go. Patrol. And. Stuff.”
“Okay,” Fenton said, still hesitant. “Will you come back? Later, I mean. Maybe if I told you who it was you can tell me where I went wrong.”
Phantom’s jaw clenched. “Yes. Maybe. Or maybe you shouldn’t tell me. I don’t think I want to know.”
“Why not?”
Phantom looked at him helplessly for a moment before shaking his head. “I might want to beat her up.”
Fenton snorted. “What, defend my honor after it was crushed?”
“Something like that.” Phantom laughed and ducked his head. “Or maybe just so I can feel sorry for myself.”
“Why? You’re the one she wants.”
“Well.” Phantom shrugged. He floated off the bed, his legs forming into a spectral tail. “That isn’t going to happen. Ever.”
Fenton sighed and fell off his elbow, landing on his back. “Thanks for that, I guess, but you don’t even know who she is yet. You might already like her.”
“I don’t like…” Phantom coughed. “I-I don’t like anyone.”
“Oh.” Fenton stared up at the ceiling. “That’s good to know.”
“Yeah…” A few seconds of silence passed between them before Phantom abruptly said, “Bye, Fenton,” and flew from the room.
Fenton waited a minute to make sure he was gone before he rolled over onto his stomach and screamed into the mattress.
#Danny Phantom#Danny Fenton#pitch pearl#mutual pining#I realized I hadn't posted anything in a while so here's a quick thing I wrote for a friend on the discord server#fanfiction#writing trance
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Lost or Found - 24
Summary: As Jay, Hailey, Kim, Adam and Kevin start their junior year in the wake of a tragic summer, the past year of their lives comes back to haunt them. If you enjoyed Pretty Little Liars, this is for you! *UPSTEAD/BURZEK High School AU
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24 - Evermore
...
“Your dad should have killed you when he had the chance…”
Hailey whimpered, her eyes clenched shut and beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.
“So you want to play hero one more time?”
She flinched in her sleep, her heart beating out of her chest, so fast that she thought it was going to explode.
“That works for me.”
Hailey shot up, screaming. The last thing she saw was the barrel of a gun. She clawed at her chest, trying to get a good breath. “Hailey?” Someone yelled, and then right after, her Aunt appeared in front of her. “Hailey, it’s okay.” Trudy reached out to grab her hand, but Hailey pulled it back, looking at her with scared eyes.
It had been a month since she had heard those words muttered aloud, but they plagued her dreams frequently.
The two weeks following that day, all five of them took turns rotating through the police station. Everyday there were new questions, more people to explain things to, more statements to clarify, it was never ending. Then, it just stopped. There was nothing else they could do, they had to wait for trial. And in the meantime, Erin was placed in a psychiatric hold facility, and her lawyers were defending her actions as a symptom as psychosis.
It bothered them all, that technically she was free, all because they could blame her attempted murder on a psychotic break. Especially when Kelly Severide was looking at time. A few days after, two detectives showed up at Hailey’s house, wanting a full recount of the last five months, and that included the night that she was attacked. When Severide was questioned, he had no alibi and he confessed to strangling Hailey. His excuse was that he was threatened the same way that the rest of them were, only in person. He claimed that he knew Erin was alive the whole time, but she threatened to kill his mom and sister if he didn’t cooperate.
Unfortunately, the only way to corroborate the story for a jury is to prove Erin mentally competent, meaning she was capable of carrying out her threats. To all involved, even Kelly, it was clear that she knew what she was doing, she was a mastermind, but to everyone on the outside, they were just a bunch of teenagers wrapped up in a murder.
The girl that everyone thought was Erin still hadn’t been identified, they had to dig up the casket for the second time. The only way they were able to ID it the first time was by the previous fracture and bracelet, but there are a lot of people in the Chicago area that have broken their left wrist.
So, with no new information and the date for the trial to begin still months away, they all lived life normally. Well, as normal as it could be after everything they went through. And normal for Hailey meant waking up every night screaming.
Trudy looked at her husband, who was standing in the doorway. They shared a look, a very familiar one. They repeated the same steps every night, like some cruel rehearsed dance. Trudy waited patiently for Hailey to calm down, just seated on the floor next to her. “Hailey, sweetie, you’re safe.” She repeated.
Every night it was the same, Hailey would snap out of whatever daze she was in and apologize profusely. “I’m sorry, I got scared…” She started.
“Shhh,” Trudy said, placing a hand on her leg, “It’s okay.”
Hailey nodded, swallowing hard. “I’m good, you all can go back to sleep.” She said, glancing at her uncle.
Trudy just nodded, she learned many nights ago not to fight her on it, “Alright. Goodnight Hailey, we love you.” She said, squeezing her shoulder.
“Love you too.” Hailey said, watching them retreat back to their room. They left the door open like they always did, Hailey sighed rolling over and grabbing her phone. She sent a quick text to her boyfriend.
Hailey: :(
It was a system that they started a few weeks ago. The first few nights Jay would stay up with her on the phone, or she would call him after Trudy and Randy finally left, but the lack of sleep began to play a part in their relationship. So, they decided that every time Hailey had a nightmare (or Jay, he wasn’t clean of them) they would text the other a frowny face, so that in the morning they would know what the other had gone through the night before without having to talk about it. It has proved to be useful.
Hailey laid down again, willing herself to close her eyes, but she couldn’t. Sleep was too vulnerable, so she laid there awake, just waiting for the sun to rise on (hopefully) a better day.
…
“What do you mean you haven’t picked out a costume?” Kim asked, as Jay slammed his door shut. Like every morning, they were all crowded around his truck, waiting until the last minute to head to class. The gossip still hadn’t died down, they were still the topic of every conversation, so they avoided it as much as they could.
Hailey shrugged. “I thought we weren’t dressing up.” She said, looking up at her boyfriend, who nodded in agreement. Halloween was tomorrow, and of course Kim had plans for all of them.
“No, I said we weren’t dressing up as the characters from scooby doo…” Kim said, giving Adam a pointed look.
Adam held up his hands in surrender, “Like I said, I’m sorry, it’s too soon.” He said, stifling a laugh.
Kevin rolled his eyes, “Yeah, you all know I’d have to be scooby. And I’m not dressing up like a dog.” He snapped.
“But Kev,” Adam said, faking a frown. “I thought you were my dawg.” Kevin glared at him, faking a punch as Adam jumped back.
“Anyway,” Kim started, looking back at Hailey and Jay, and ignoring the antics behind her. “I promised Stella we would all be at her party tomorrow night, you guys will be the only people without a costume.”
Hailey sighed, “Kim, we will get costumes, I promise.” Kim opened her mouth, but the warning bell cut her off. Hailey smiled, grabbing Jay’s hand. “We’ll see you guys later.” She said, before pulling him away.
“Please tell me you have costume ideas,” Jay said quietly.
“Nope.” They rounded the corner, Jay leaning down and stealing a kiss before they entered their classroom. Criminal justice was a little harder to sit through than it was before, but somehow Jay had managed to get his grade up.
They took their normal seats in the back of the class, waiting for the teacher to begin. “I have an idea,” Jay said, leaning on his hand.
“Okay?” Hailey said cautiously.
“I’ll be a firefighter, and you be a Dalmatian.” He said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Hailey scoffed, “No.”
“Okay. You be the firefighter and I’ll be the Dalmatian.” He said, smirking.
Hailey shook her head, “Try again.” Jay fake pouted, retreating back to his half of the shared desk.
Finally, their teacher decided to start class, cutting their conversation off for the time being. After about 30 minutes of notes, he passed out an assignment, leaving them to work on their own. Jay turned to face her, smiling. “I’ve got another idea.” He said, Hailey gave him a pointed look. “Squints and the lifeguard from the sandlot.”
“Why? So every time someone asks us who we are you get to lay on the ground and make me kiss you?” She questioned.
“Exactly.” He deadpanned.
“Jay-”
“Okay, okay.” He said, laughing. He loved it when she got all riled up. “Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, cause you’re so short-”
“Jay!” She said, smacking his bicep.
He laughed harder, “Okay, in all seriousness...we can be Jack and Rose from the titanic…” He watched Hailey’s face slowly morph into slight agreeance, “And Kev could be the iceberg.”
“I’m done with you.” Hailey said shortly, stifling her own laugh.
Jay laughed at his own joke, watching his girlfriend pretend to be aggravated with him. “You love me, you know it.”
“Unfortunately…” Hailey said under her breath. She took a deep breath, “What about Danny and Sandy from Grease?”
Jay smirked, “You in leather pants? Perfect.”
“You’re hopeless.”
…
The next day, Hailey sat in Kim’s bedroom getting ready. They had about an hour before the boys were supposed to come pick them up. Kim and Adam were going as Romeo and Juliet, while Hailey and Jay had finally settled on Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. Kevin had grouped up with some of the boys from his team, they were going as zombie football players, very original…
“Kim, you’re going to have to do this.” Hailey said, laughing in defeat.
Kim smiled, taking over for her. She was waiting for her to ask for help, she’d been struggling to french braid her hair for almost twenty minutes. “I got it.” They sat there for a while in silence, Kim carefully laying pieces of blonde hair over the others, she glanced at Hailey in the mirror, noticing the blank look on her face. “How are you doing?”
Hailey’s head snapped up to meet her eyes, she caught her off guard. “Uh,” She shrugged, “I’m okay, I guess…”
Kim scoffed, shaking her head. “I’ve said that word so many times recently that I’m not even sure it’s a word anymore.”
“Yeah…” Hailey said, letting her thoughts wander. “I get that.” And she did, it was like she used the word as a shield. It was her response to everything, and she wasn’t okay, not that it was really a secret. None of them were okay, but saying it made it feel like they were. And deception was something worth clinging onto.
“You know, we never talked about-”
“We don’t need to.” Hailey said, cutting her off.
Kim eyed her cautiously, “Okay.” She wanted to talk, but she didn’t feel like she had any right to push Hailey to. Not after what happened. “Done.” She said, a few minutes later, taking a step back to admire her work.
“Thanks,” Hailey said with a genuine smile, picking up the jar of flower clips they had bought that morning. “You think I should just put these everywhere?”
Kim nodded, “Yeah, I think so.” She reached down, clicking shuffle on a playlist, a random Taylor Swift song playing. They were both done talking.
An hour later, the two of them were sitting in Kim’s kitchen talking to her mom when Jay and Adam arrived. Adam just let himself in the front door, Jay choked on a laugh as he waltzed in like he owned the place.
The boys appeared in the kitchen, “Honey, I’m home.” He said, passing Kim and hugging her mom. Kim rolled her eyes as they all laughed, Jay’s hand finding Hailey’s back like it always did. He was so happy, even though life was still crazy, he was ridiculously happy. Watching Hailey smile and Adam joke around like he used to (before they used it as a distraction) was so nice, and familiar and just so damn good.
Hailey peered up at him, grinning as he pecked her lips. “Alright, let’s get a picture so you all can get out of here.” Claire said, ushering them together. Jay stood next to Adam, both of them holding their girlfriends securely against their waists. They all smiled brightly, relaxing after the click.
They quickly bid their goodbyes, making their way out to Jay’s truck. Hailey slid easily into the passenger seat, despite her nude heels (that she was already regretting), while Adam and Kim got in the back. They pulled out of the driveway, and somehow Adam ended up with aux cord. Somewhere in between an old Maroon 5 song and the Weekend, Jay’s hand found hers on the center console.
Hailey looked down at it and smiled. It was a simple thing that they did every single time they rode together, but it really symbolized how much things had changed. Hailey thought back to the day that he kept his eyes trained on the road, back when she cut him off when he tried to apologize. It was only two months ago, but they were different, everything was different, everything was better.
Jay followed her gaze to their conjoined hands, mimicking her smile. She didn’t have to say anything, he knew exactly what she was thinking. Part of him wishes he could go back and stay with her then, he felt like they had wasted so much time, but the other part of him knew that they were better for it. Neither of them were ready for what they have now, then. And what they have was worth the wait.
Finally they reached their destination, Jay having the park pretty far away due to how many people were already there. They got out, Jay rounding the truck to help Hailey down, even though she hadn’t needed it in a long time. The four of them headed towards the decent sized house, they could hear the music thumping from outside. Hailey slipped her hand in Jay’s, gripping his forearm.
Jay noticed the look of discomfort on her face, leaning down. “Hey, you okay?” He asked, eying her.
Hailey nodded, holding on a little tighter. “Yeah, just don’t want to get lost in the crowd.” Jay nodded, believing her lie. She couldn’t really explain it, but she had a terrible feeling in her stomach and the thought of being lost in a sea of people made her want to throw up. Even though it was over, Hailey still found herself looking over her shoulder and watching out for her. And even though all of that meant she was nowhere near being in a party mood, she wasn’t going to bring everyone else down, they all needed a fun night.
They made their way through the crowded makeshift dance floor, and found Kevin in a living area near the back of the house where he was sitting with Stella, Conner, Matt and Sylvie. “Hey guys,” He called, jumping up and clapping Adam’s back.
Stella stood, hugging Kim tightly, “I’m glad you guys could make it.”
Kim squeezed her, “Me too.”
Stella backed away, touching Hailey’s arm affectionately and giving her a kind smile that she returned. “I know it’s kind of crazy,” Stella laughed, “If you need something or just a break, the keys to the upstairs doors are hidden right under the doors, just inside the rooms.” She glanced at the obvious couples, winking. “I trust you guys.”
They all nodded, Kim blushing, a chorus of “great” and “thanks” sounding. The group dispersed, the five of them huddling up. “Obviously Hailey and I are gonna stick together, if we get lost, meet back here at midnight and we’ll head out?” Jay suggested.
“Sounds good,” Kev said, nodding.
Adam agreed too. “That works for me.”
That works for me…
Hailey flinched at those words, instinctively squeezing her eyes shut. Her breath caught in her throat. The image of a pulled gun flashing through her brain. She grimaced, trying to push the thoughts away. “Hailes…” She took another deep breath, doing everything in her power to keep her fear at bay. “Hailes.” Someone said, harsher, snapping her out of her daze.
“Yeah?” She asked quickly.
Kim eyed her cautiously, “I asked if you wanted a water…”
“Oh,” Hailey shook her head, “No, I’m good, thanks though.” She watched as Kim and Adam slowly disappeared into the crowd, her eyebrowed cinched together.
Jay stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the rest of the room, “Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, concern clear in his bright green eyes.
Hailey nodded vigorously, “I’m good, I promise.” She said, his face didn’t change. He didn’t believe her. Hailey reached up, pulling him to her level and attaching their lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she deepened it, pulling him even closer. Jay did his best not to get lost in the kiss, but with her it was so hard. She pulled away slowly, peering up at him. “Jay, I’m okay.” Kim was right, it didn’t sound like a word anymore.
Jay sighed, admitting defeat. “Okay.” He laced their hands together, leaning down and kissing her slowly before guiding her to the dance floor. They stood near the edge, Jay’s hand sitting on her hips as they swayed in sync to the fast music. They danced for a while before some of Jay’s teammates interrupted them.
Hailey stood securely at his side as they spoke, absently listening to the trashy rap music that was playing loudly throughout the room. “Fuck, shit, bitch…” The sound of a gun being cocked rang through the speakers and Hailey screamed. Suddenly the eyes of everyone around her staring at her. She was frozen in place, forcing the terrible memories away, but she couldn’t.
“Hailey.” Jay said, but her feet had a mind of their own and she was running towards the staircase, her lungs burning, she couldn’t get in a good breath. “Hailey!” Jay called after her, not even bothering to say goodbye to his team before taking off.
Hailey booked it up the stairs, dropping to the ground in front of the first door she saw, grasping aimlessly for the key. She slumped against the door, tears streaming down her face as she fought to breathe. Jay booked it towards her, crouching down and finding the key easily. He unlocked the door, then swept his hysterical girlfriend off the floor, carrying her into the room and setting her on the bed. She was still heaving in front of him, and Jay placed two hands on either side of her face. “Hailey, Hailey look at me.” He said, but her eyes stayed trained on his chest. “Baby, you’re safe, look at me, please.” She clenched her eyes shut, more tears falling down her face. When she opened them again, they met his and she launched herself into his arms.
Jay held her to him, rocking them gently as she cried into his neck. “I-I thought-” She stuttered, sobs wracking her body.
“I know, I know.” He said, trying to calm her.
“I thought it was over…” She said, and Jay felt his heart clench in his chest.
He ran his hand through her braided hair, no doubt destroying it. “It is, it’s all over, you’re safe. We’re safe.” For some reason that made her cry harder, maybe because she hadn’t for the past month, she had been bottling up her feelings to protect herself and everyone else. Because even though she was, she hadn’t felt safe in a long time.
Hailey pulled away after a long time, utterly exhausted. Jay couldn’t take the look of defeat on her safe, she looked so tired, so broken, that it scared him. How could he not have known how much pain she was in?
She couldn’t bear to look at him, so she kept her gaze fixed on her lap. He placed his hand on her thigh, and Hailey laid one on top of it. She sniffled, using her free hand to wipe the never ending tears from her eyes. “I’m okay.”
…
The following Monday, Hailey sat in the passenger seat of Jay’s truck. After the events of Saturday night, Jay had no choice but to loop in Trudy and Randall, he had to after he had failed to do so before. They spent the rest of the weekend convincing Hailey to see someone, to talk about everything they had been through.
It was probably the trauma left over from her parents, but the stigma that therapy made you weak was ingrained in Hailey’s mind, and convincing her to make an appointment was no easy task.
That’s how they ended up sitting in the parking lot of a private practice right after school, Hailey’s leg bouncing nervously up and down. Jay lifted their intertwined hands off the center console, kissing the back of hers. “I’m going to be here waiting, all I ask is that you go in there and try.” He said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.
Hailey smiled softly, nodding. She leaned across the console and kissed him slowly, hoping that she was able to portray just how much love she had for him and trust she had in him through it. Jay pulled away, taking her in. “I love you, Hailey Upton.”
“I love you, Jay Halstead.” She said.
“Now, go kick some ass.” He said and she laughed, opening the truck door. She shut it, giving him one last look before walking inside the doors.
She sat down in one of the waiting room chairs after signing in, a few minutes later an older man with big glasses popped his head out of the back. “Hailey?”
She stood, “Yes sir.”
The man smiled, “Come with me.” He led her back to an office, gesturing for her to sit on the couch while he sat in the chair across from her. “I’m Dr. Charles, but you can call me Daniel or Dan, or really whatever makes you comfortable.” He explained.
Hailey nodded, shifting nervously. “So, how does this work?” She asked.
“However you want it to, we can talk or not talk about anything you want.” He said, leaning back in his chair.
“Okay,” Hailey glanced at the ground, “The-There’s a lot…”
“That’s okay.”
Hailey grimaced, finally looking at him. “Where do I start?” She asked.
Dr. Charles smiled. “How about the beginning?”
Hailey sighed, taking a few deep breaths, ready to start confronting all the demons that she had been fighting for so long.
“Tell me everything.”
...
A/N: This is long but please, please, please read it!!
First, this is the end of this story, but it is not THE end! There will be a sequel and if you want to see a sneak peak, you can find it HERE. I am so so excited to continue exploring this version of these characters, and don’t worry, the next installment will be just as exciting as this one!
Second, thank you so so so so much to everyone who has shown love to and supported this story. It really means the world to me, you have no idea. This has been such an amazing experience and I have learned so much from writing this, so thank you so much for reading. You guys are truly incredible, and writing has helped me through a tough time in my life. I’m going to say thank you a million time, but thank you, thank you, thank you <3
This story evolved so much lol: in the beginning I had no plan, and then it changed like five times, and we ended up here, so here’s a few things that didn’t make it in.
Nadia was supposed to die in chapter 19, but I decided against it…
I debated Kevin and Stella getting together, don’t hate me for this ahaha
I almost made Kim lose her hearing, but I wasn’t sure I could do the storyline justice with everything else going on
I debated killing Adam (I’M SORRY, i’m sorry…)
And finally (cause you don’t need to know all of my secrets) I ALMOST broke up Upstead at the end
Anyway, there’s some behind the scenes action if you’re interested.
Back to the point: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING ME AND THIS STORY, I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, and i cannot wait to embark on this next journey together!!
So much love,
Anna
@lissethsrojas @puckluck28 @fuckyeahkillianemma @chilly7188 @thebigapocalypsewolf @karihighman @ruzek-halstead @anotheronechicagobog @snowwhite013 @tracysupton @angelsjedi @carissalizz
#jay halstead#hailey upton#upstead#upstead au#kim burgess#adam ruzek#burzek au#burzek#kevin atwater#erin lindsay#stella kidd#trudy platt#chicago pd#kelly severide#one chicago#chicago pd au
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Aftermath (ABC-gen) - Candy Cane
A/N: work has not lightened up and my mental health has not improved at all hells yeah 😎😎😎 uhhhh yeah thats all
Summary: Hours after leaving the set of All Stars 2, Adore does the only thing she can imagine doing.
Danny doesn’t really know what they’re doing when they press the “call” button under Bianca’s contact. She had been right, so so right, and they feel so scared and hurt. Sitting alone in the hotel room just reminds them of how fucking stupid it was to try and do this. All their closest friends either tried to talk them out of it or were clearly not happy about this. Even their mom.
The hotel room is cold, despite the summer heat outside, making Danny feel ten times worse than they already do. Their mom’s words still ring in their head, a reminder of poor decision making and a refusal to listen to friends and family. She had picked up the second Danny called though, and Danny knows she’s probably just pissed off and not completely disappointed, but the doubt is still there.
Calling Bianca though just feels like the right answer. Considering the extensive conversation they had prior to Danny agreeing to All Stars, they feel a responsibility to let her know everything that’s happened.
When the phone is answered, Danny’s voice starts shaking and they can’t stop from spilling it out to her, “Bia, you were right. You were so right and I’m sorry I should’ve listened to you-”
“Hey, hey, hold on,” Bianca says quickly, shushing Danny with a soft and comforting tone, “I’m in the middle of the street with Courtney, we’ll call you back ad soon as we get to the hotel, alright?”
“Ok, ok,” Danny replies, taking a few deep breaths.
“Just a few minutes, I promise,” and the call is abruptly ended.
Danny sits on the edge of the bed, eyes closed and trying to breathe, but it feels almost impossible. Was this the biggest mistake ever? Or the safest choice? There’s no going back now, that’s for sure.
The clock ticks on for an almost uncomfortably long time, but true to Bianca’s words, a few minutes later Danny’s phone starts ringing, Bianca’s Caller ID covering the screen. Danny answers without hesitation and is greeted by Bianca’s loving, concerned voice.
“Adore? What’s going on?”
Danny lets out a shuddering breath, and says the first thing that pops into their head, “You were right.”
Courtney’s voice then comes crackling over the phone speaker, almost catching Danny off guard, “Well don’t tell her that, her head is already big enough.”
Danny sniffles and smiles to themself a bit, Courtney’s words comforting them more than would have been expected. They hadn’t expected for Courtney to bw with Bianca today, but it is a relief. Her love and support is crucial for them.
“But it’s true,” Danny says, all the emotion in their voice is completely drained. They know Bianca and Courtney are sharing a worried look, this situation is common enough to know that look like they know the back of their hand.
“Why aren’t you in filming right now?” Bianca asks, even though all three of them already know the answer.
“I left,” Danny whispers.
“Oh, Adore,” Courtney murmurs, and the pain in her voice almost breaks Danny’s heart.
“I told you…” Bianca adds gently, and there’s not a trace of true anger in her voice.
“I know,” Danny mumbles, wringing their fingers anxiously.
Bianca had said multiple times that this was a bad idea, despite helping to pick out clothes for All Stars. Danny had assumed they would go compete, have a good time, and then shove it in Bianca’s face after they won. Now they struggle to remember a time that Bianca was ever wrong. “Alright, what’s the full story?” Bianca demands.
“Huh?”
“Come on, you can’t lead with something like that and then leave us parched.”
Danny bites their lip, “Well…”
The whole thing doesn’t take particularly long to tell, and the anger coming from the two on the other end of the line is almost tangible. By the time the story is finished, Courtney has made it clear she has some choice words to share with Drag Race.
“This is fucking ridiculous,” Bianca mutters.
Danny just sighs.
“When will you be home?” Courtney asks anxiously.
“I’m going to my mom’s house, and I won’t get there until late tonight,” Danny answers, looking around at their mess of a hotel room glumly.
“Want us to come over this weekend?”
Danny inhales sharply, wondering how they managed to be so lucky to wind up with these two beautiful people in their life. It doesn’t make sense. They haven’t done anything to deserve this, to deserve Bianca and Courtney, and yet… Here they are. Always with open arms and listening ears. Sometimes it feels like too much, too much love and warmth, but now Danny can’t fight against it. They just want to be with those two so fucking bad right now.
“Yes,” Danny answers after a moment of long silence, “Please come over. Please.”
“We’ll be there, I promise,” Bianca reassures them gently.
“See you soon, darling,” Courtney says, and then the call is ended.
Danny still feels lost, and lonely, but not… alone. At least not totally alone. And now they have something to look forward to. There’s no doubt Courtney and Bianca will be there in just a few days with pizza, beer, and cuddles. Lots of cuddles.
Packing is slow, almost torturous, but Danny manages to get it done.
Leaving the hotel is like leaving the Olympics. They don’t feel like a failure, but they do feel like they’ve let people down. It’s hard to say goodbye to what this place represents, though not impossible. Danny is more than eager to get to their mom’s soft embrace and their brothers’ teasing. But also Courtney and Bianca, those two have changed their life in an unpredictable way, and continue to do so all of the time.
Taking one last look at the hotel room, Danny leaves with Adore’s things in tow, ready to start a new chapter.
#rpdr fanfiction#adore delano#bianca del rio#courtney act#abc#angst#canon compliant#hurt/comfort#as2#aftermath#candy cane#concrit welcome
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The Real Martial Arts Behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
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This article contains some minor spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
In the pages of Marvel Comics, Shang-Chi is known as the “Master of Kung Fu.” So when Marvel Studios announced the character to help usher in MCU Phase 4, the one thought on every fan’s mind was that whoever gets cast in the lead role better really know Kung Fu.
In the wake of Netflix’s Iron Fist, Marvel’s other Kung Fu master, there was a lot of skepticism. Marvel had scored with the previous Netflix series Daredevil, which delivered some of the best small screen fight choreography we’d ever seen. But Iron Fist was sorely lacking. Finn Jones just couldn’t sell a punch as Danny Rand, leaving fans of Marvel martial arts masters overwhelmingly disappointed. If there’s one thing that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had to nail, it was the Kung Fu.
Like Jones, Simu Liu had little martial arts experience before taking on the role of Shang-Chi. However, he already had the physique, so much so that appearing shirtless was a running joke when he played Jung in Kim’s Convenience. What’s more, Liu bulked up, added 10 more pounds of muscle while training for the film.
Unlike a character like Daredevil, Shang-Chi doesn’t wear a mask, so Liu had to quickly pick up enough cinematic Kung Fu to appear masterful on screen. Fortunately, he was backed by a top-notch team of stuntmen and surrounded with a cast of veteran film fighters including Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Star Trek: Discovery), Tony Leung (Hero, The Grandmaster), Yuen Wah (Kung Fu Hustle), Florian Munteanu (Creed II), Andy Le (The Paper Tigers), and others. Even though Liu was new to Kung Fu, he carries the action scenes with panache.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is not only a good Marvel movie, it’s a good Kung Fu movie. It has the best fight scenes seen in the MCU so far. And although the movie doesn’t get bogged down in the specifics of Kung Fu style, there are telling nods throughout the film that shows the filmmakers knew their Kung Fu too. “We knew the martial arts had to be authentic,” says Director Destin Daniel Cretton. “In order for that to feel real, we worked with people who understood Chinese Kung Fu.”
Let’s take a look at some of the Kung Fu roots and martial arts Easter Eggs underlying Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsdone..
The Ten Rings are Real…Kind of
Wenwu (Tony Leung) is the villain of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and he wields ten magical rings that he wears on his forearms. These are the source of his power, as well as the name of his criminal organization. The origin of these rings is a prevailing mystery in the movie; however, their inspiration is not.
Traditional Kung Fu practitioners use rings akin to these while training, particularly in Southern Chinese styles. Such rings are called tit waan in Cantonese, which literally means “iron rings” or “iron bracelets.” Iron rings are constructed of heavy metal, typically brass or steel, and are worn loosely on the forearms when practicing solo forms and doing arm drills.
They serve two purposes. Firstly, they are heavy, usually weighing over a pound a piece, so they act like wrist weights. Secondly, unlike Wenwu’s magical rings which conform to fit his forearms perfectly, real iron rings are looser. They must be narrow enough so that they stay on when the practitioner makes a fist, but they are far from form fitting. This gives them play to bang against the practitioner’s forearms when they are shadowboxing. The banging conditions the user’s forearms, hardening them to withstand the impact of blocking. Some iron ring practitioners have forearms that are so tough they can severely damage an adversary’s punch with their ring-hardened blocks.
Although iron rings are not conventionally considered as weapons, Kung Fu practitioners have figured out ways to weaponize just about everything. Some wield iron rings like brass knuckles, holding them in their fists for punching.
Kung Fu Hustle
Weaponized iron rings are used in the 2004 comedy Kung Fu Hustle. The character Tailor (Chiu Chi Ling) fights with them. Chiu is a genuine master of Hung Ga Kung Fu, a southern style that uses iron ring training extensively.
Director Destin Daniel Cretton claims that Kung Fu Hustle is one of his favorite martial arts movies so there are other nods to it in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, including when a Kung Fu Hustle poster can be seen on a bedroom wall in the background. What’s more, Yuen Wah also appears as the warrior leader of Ta Lo who oversees Katy’s (Awkwafina) archery training. Yuen played the Landlord in Kung Fu Hustle and is a veteran martial arts actor with nearly 200 film credits. He is also the Kung Fu brother of Jackie Chan.
Yuen Qiu, who plays the Landlady in Kung Fu Hustle is a mutual Kung Fu sibling. Jackie, Yuen Wah and Yuen Qiu were all pupils of Yu Jim-Yuen, a master of Chinese opera who trained them all from childhood. They all took stage names that included the “Yuen” part of their master’s name (Jackie Chan was known as Yuen Lau as a child). Others among that troupe were many of the movers and shakers of Hong Kong’s golden age of Kung Fu films, such as Sammo Hung (a.k.a. Yuen Lung) and famed action choreographer, Yuen Woo-Ping (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill).
Tiger Head Hooks
The signature weapons of the Ten Rings are Tiger Head Hooks. These are those black glowing hooked swords that the gang members wield. They also appear on the Ten Rings banner. It’s an excellent choice because Tiger Head Hooks are one of the most distinctively Kung Fu weapons of all.
In Chinese, these are called Hu tou shuang gou, which literally means “Tiger head paired hooks.” “Paired” because they are typically used in pairs. Sometimes they are just translated as Hook Swords. They have a sword blade with a hooked tip, a crescent-shaped blade for a knuckle guard, and a dagger blade for a pommel. Every edge is sharp. The only place they are not sharp is the handle. This makes them very difficult to wield. Consequently, Tiger Hooks are considered an advanced Kung Fu weapon.
The reference book Ancient Chinese Weapons by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming dates Tiger Head hooks back to China’s Spring Autumn Period (771-476 BCE), however those ancient hooks likely took on a different form. The modern style of Tiger Head hooks as seen in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings rose to prominence around the 1800s. They are still practiced today, mostly by Northern schools of Kung Fu.
What Style of Kung Fu Does Shang-Chi Practice?
Kung Fu is renowned for its diverse collection of styles like Shaolin, Wing Chun, Tiger style, and countless others. There’s even Drunken style and Toad style. In the movie, Shang-Chi doesn’t adopt a particular style of Kung Fu. Some of his moves have characteristics of Wing Chun or Bajiquan, but there’s nothing in the choreography to indicate a very specific style.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The warriors of Ta Lo are different. While their style is not explicit, their peacekeeping philosophy is expressed through the soft, internal styles of Kung Fu like Tai Chi. When Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh) schools Shang-Chi in their first match, it’s reminiscent of how airbending is depicted in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
However, the connection is deeper than that. Despite its fantasy elements, Avatar based its martial arts sequences on authentic Kung Fu by mo-capping Sifu Kisu, a renowned martial arts master. Kisu designated specific styles for each school of bending. Airbending was based upon an internal style of Kung Fu known as Baguazhang, or Eight Diagram Palm. Like Tai Chi, it has a soft expression. It relies on circular movements and pivoting evasions. Several of Yeoh’s techniques are plucked straight out of Baguazhang.
The Masters Behind Shang-Chi’s Martial Arts
Credit for Shang-Chi’s Kung Fu authenticity falls on the film’s top notch stunt team. Two are leading graduates of the legendary Jackie Chan Stunt Team. The fight on the hi-rise scaffolding is a homage to Jackie’s parkour-inspiring choreography. Andy Cheng worked on around half a dozen of Jackie’s films including his first two Rush Hour films, Shanghai Noon, The Tuxedo, and Who Am I? where Jackie does one of his all-time greatest stunts, sliding down the Willemswerf skyscraper in Rotterdam. He was also the action director for Into the Badlands. When Jackie inevitably stepped back from doing his own stunts, Cheng stepped in for him.
“We were very concerned [about Kung Fu] from the very beginning,” says Cretton. “Marvel was also concerned and wanted to get it right. [They] knew that Marvel fans, wouldn’t have let it slide if we did a Hollywood version of a whitewashed Kung Fu movie. To be able to, we brought in Brad Allan.” Brad Allan was the first non-Asian to make Jackie’s stunt team. He also worked on around a dozen of Jackie’s films (this is approximate because stunt work wasn’t always credited).
Who Was Brad Allan?
You can’t miss the credits in any MCU film. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, there’s a prominent dedication to Allan at the very end. Tragically, on August 7th, 2021, Brad Allan died unexpectantly at the early age of 48, sending the martial arts world reeling from the loss of one of its brightest stars. Beyond Shang-Chi, Allan leaves behind an exemplary legacy of action films where he served as the Second Unit Director including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Cuban Fury, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and the Kingsman trilogy.
Allan was obsessed with the martial arts from childhood and rose to compete internationally in Wushu, representing Australia where he was born and raised. Through a chance encounter, he was able to demonstrate his skills to Jackie, and Jackie liked what he saw so much that he took Allan under his wing.
In 1999, Allan played Alan, the villain in Jackie’s film Gorgeous, which coincidentally also stars Tony Leung. With Allan clad in black and Jackie in white, their finale fight is, well, it’s gorgeous. It’s two of the greatest masters of the craft delivering top notch fight choreography. Allan spent most of his career modestly behind the scenes, so Gorgeous is the outstanding example of his speed and agility. It’s heartbreaking that Allan didn’t get to see the premiere of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Allan’s final work will be seen in The King’s Man later this year.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now playing in theaters.
The post The Real Martial Arts Behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings appeared first on Den of Geek.
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Your Heart
Chapter 6 -- A Ghostophobe, a Giant Iguana, and Vegan Nacho Cheese
Word Count: 14402
READ ON AO3
As an aspiring astronaut, Danny’s dream had always been going to space.
Being able to look at the vastness of the universe, to literally look down on Earth and see every single country at once, to stargaze up close… All from the comfort of the space station as he leisurely floated around in zero gravity.
Really, that was all he asked for.
He was convinced he lost his chance when he got his powers.
Although not directly connected to his dream, the birth of Danny Phantom almost put his GPA in jeopardy several times. Before the accident, he used to be a good student, granted, not as good as Jazz, but he brought home good marks. But once the first sleepless night trying to catch rogue ghosts came, countless more were soon to follow.
Between the lack of sleep, being tardy to class or skipping it altogether, and many more instances of ‘teenage rebellion’ (all caused by his attempts to save everyone from malevolent spirits, not like anyone cared), Danny was sure his dreams of going to space had all but vanished before him.
There were no words capable of describing his joy when he miraculously pulled just the mark he needed to be accepted at Amity Park University’s Astrophysics degree. So what if he couldn’t go to a fancy college like Yale, or Stanford? That was Jazz’s dream, not his. Besides, studying at APU was perfect for protecting the town and getting access to the Ghost Zone.
He seriously doubted any of those preppy colleges would have granted him permission to build a ghost portal in their labs, anyway.
And so, he was closer to his dream than he’d thought he’d ever be during all of high school. During that time, he found solace in flying. Being one of the only two people in the whole world who could fly without help was even more special than being selected by NASA; a feat in itself. And it was so...liberating.
Even when he struggled most with his powers, just being able to fly made it all worth it. The immense relief that would envelop him whenever he just let the breeze guide him, lazily swaying in the sky and under the moonlight. The feeling he’d get whenever the adrenaline coursed through his veins as he picked up speed, sometimes even breaking the sound barrier when he felt like really challenging himself. Or just the chance to quiet the hectic voices ruling his life, even for just one moment: fight ghosts, save everyone, try to fit in, don’t let Mum and Dad find out what you are. Fight ghosts, save everyone, try to fit in, don’t let Mum and Dad find out what you are. Fight ghosts, save everyone, try toー
The mere chance to leave his worries behind, even for just a second, made the prospect of losing his one chance at his dream seem worth it.
Although...he did get the chance to be an astronaut during freshman year. But that was a story for another day.
Now, at twenty-one and with even more things to worry about, flying was still the one place he could find solace in. Tucker often told him that’d change the day he found himself a girlfriend, but let’s be real; who’d want to date someone like him?
Unlike high school, however, his problem wasn’t his look or his personality. The not-so-subtle glancesーwhich were almost predatory, might he addーand shameless gossiping and squealing he got from the girls around campus confirmed he’d grown from ‘Scrawny, Awkward Fenturd’, to ‘Tall, Dark, and Handsome Fenstud.’
The moniker stroked his ego, he wasn’t going to deny it. But the problem wasn’t his popularity with the opposite sex. The problem was how the opposite sex would react if they knew his secret.
Okay, maybe that was the wrong way to phrase that sentence. If the excited shrieking and squealing his alter ego received from the members of his fan club were anything to go by, any of those girls would faint in elation if they ever got the chance to date Danny Phantom. The polls from gossip magazines dedicated to discussing how hot the Ghost Boy was ーwhen were they gonna change that nickname to ‘Ghost Man’, anyway? When he was 40?!ー didn’t lie.
The real problem would come when his girlfriend got involved in his double life. And even if he wouldn’t want her to be involved, let alone fight ghosts alongside him like Tucker and Jazz did, deep down he knew it was inevitable. The moment his enemies found out he had a new girlfriend, they would use her to get to him. After all, what better way to defeat someone than to exploit his weakness? If Technus, of all people, could come up with that plan, anybody else could.
As he surveyed Amity Park from above, lost in his thoughts, Danny suddenly registered a source of heat coming from his right. Quickly swirling in the opposite direction to avoid the incoming projectile, a pink beam of ecto-energy, he quickly scanned his surroundings to identify his opponent. And judging by the way his Ghost Sense hadn't gone off, that could only be one person.
“Valerie.”
“It’s Red Huntress for you, spook!” A snarl, accompanied by another pink blast, came from above him. After blocking the attack with an ecto-shield, he looked up. Lo and behold, Valerie was hovering over him on her forked, black and red hoverboard, an ecto-gun protruding from her forearm and aimed directly at him.
Valerie Gray, also known as The Red Huntress. Amity Park’s most competent ghost hunter, after him. Who also happened to be his sorta-kinda-maybe-it’s-complicated ex-girlfriend. Or his S.K.M.I.C.E.G.F. for short.
Somehow, that acronym never had a good reception.
His story with Valerie was...an interesting one, to say the least. Their relationship was full of ups and downs, with the downs eventually becoming an integral and exclusive part of their interactions as Danny Phantom and The Red Huntress.
They started out as complete strangers. Well, not exactly. They both knew of each other back in the beginning to freshman year of high school, but they didn’t know each other. Valerie started out as another A-lister; haughty, self-centred, she made no effort to hide her disdain for those ‘bellow her.’ Of course, Danny, being Danny Fenton, one of the biggest losers in Casper High, was particularly low in her long list of those ‘bellow her.’
But that all changed thanks to a little ghost puppy he called Cujo.
Cujo was the ghost of a guard dog trained by Axion Labs, where Damon Gray, Valerie’s father, worked. They got rid of the dogs after upgrading the security system, with the misfortune of preparing the labs for any possible kind of assault, except for a ghost puppy with the ability to turn into a bigger, more menacing dog looking for his lost chew toy.
Needless to say, things could’ve gone better. If only because his accidental meddling had been indirectly responsible for Mr. Gray losing his job, the Grays losing their fortune and their house, Valerie falling from grace and losing her popularity, and her developing a huge grudge against all ghosts, especially him, that lasted well into present time.
If there were job applications for fucking people over that weren’t exclusively related to sex work, he’d be a pro.
As expected when someone dedicated their lives to hunting you, regardless of your attempts to befriend them or explain the situation, the two didn’t quite get along at first. Between Valerie’s newfound purpose to waste him and the fact that she never really acknowledged she’d been as terrible to him and Tucker as the A-listers were now with her, the two often butted heads even at school.
Their opinions of each other didn’t change until Skulker forced them to work together to survive his island and his attempts at hunting them both, when they actually had a heart-to-heart. Their civilian selves being simultaneously paired up for a Health class project also helped.
But what really changed things was the very same events that turned Danny Phantom into the Ghost King.
During Pariah Dark’s return, Danny Fenton and Valerie Gray really connected, and Danny learned to appreciate her in a whole new light. She was amazing while she fought Dark and the Fright Knight; the months she’d had to hone her abilities really shone through. Her attacks were intuitive, yet calculated. Her moves, nimble but they packed quite the punch. She was confident, and yet cautious enough to not get cocky.
As odd as it sounded, seeing her fight was incredibly hot.
...alright, so maybe he did have a thing for girls who could kick his ass. He blamed his dad for that one.
That day, something sparked between them...but only between Danny Fenton and Valerie; she still hated the Ghost Boy with every fiber of her being. She was positively furious when she found out he’d been chosen as the next ruler of the Ghost Zone.
Danny had to admit, anybody else with half a brain cell would have understood that crushing on a girl hellbent on destroying a part of him maybe wasn’t the best idea ever. Tucker and Jazz certainly thought so. But he was fourteen, hormones were high, and Valerie was the coolest girl he’d ever met so far, so…
Common sense be damned.
And so, they tried going out for some time. During those few dates the two went together he was over the moon, walking on air, he couldn’t believe his luck! He’d finally found a girl who liked him for him. Someone real and approachable, unlike his previous crushes on popular girlsーironically enough since Valerie herself used to be an unapproachable popular girl.
The universe itself seemed to want them to be together!
Not only did they dates suddenly get better thanks to some weird coincidenceーa blackout turning a dinner in a greasy diner into a romantic candle-lit evening, winning carnival tickets at the baseball game, the ferris wheel stopping at the most romantic point possibleーbut they seemed to be enough to get the idea inside Valerie’s head that maybe their relationship was worth giving up ghosthunting for.
Until Tucker, Jazz, and, surprisingly enough, Technus burst his little bubble. Turned out, Technus, who still didn’t respect him as his new ruler, seeing Valerie as a potential weakness, manipulated their relationship to keep him busy while he worked on his latest scheme.
The self-called ‘Master of Technology’ was also responsible for Valerie’s hatred of ghosts being renewed, for the destruction of her original suit followed by an upgrade to her current armor, and for Danny’s one-time experience in space (a happy coincidence).
Oh, and had he mentioned Technus’ meddling also led to Valerie breaking up with him before he could even ask her to go steady (hence the S.K.M.I.C.E.G.F. situation), giving him the most cliché excuse in the superheroing book, because she hated his ghost half more than she liked his human half?
Because it totally did.
Looking back, with Valerie’s icy glare set on him and a very menacing looking ecto-gun aimed straight at his forehead, maybe dating a ghost hunter set on killing him wasn’t his best idea. Fucking hormones…
“Look, Valerie, can we wrap this up? I’m really not in the mood.”
“Oh, we’ll wrap it up alright, Phantom,” she sneered, “with your ass in a body bag!” She shot at him again with the weapon protruding from her forearm. Seeing as the ghost only ducked the ecto-rays with relative difficulty, she changed tactics. Quickly typing down a command on her control panel, from between her fingers materialised three razor-sharp pink discs.
The moment her attention was focused elsewhere, Danny took the chance and flew off at top speed. Noticing his attempt to escape from the corner of her eye, refusing to let him get away, the Red Huntress stepped on the hidden button of her board’s body. With a whirring sound, the engines roared to life, allowing her to fly after him.
Once the Ghost Boy was within reaching distance and too busy trying to get away from her, with a swift motion of her arm, Valerie hurled the pink discs at him. At the sound of air being sliced, Danny turned his head just enough to notice the pink projectiles coming towards him from the corner of his eye. Maneuvering through the sky, he managed to dodge the first two, but as he ducked away from the second disc, the third came close enough to slice his upper arm.
Wincing in pain, not once stopping his flight, he cradled his arm to inspect the wound. Despite the oozing ectoplasm coming out of it, it was just a superficial cut. He’d live. As he registered the sudden heat approaching his back, Danny understood the only way to get rid of Valerie was fighting her.
As much as he hated fighting a friend, it was pointless to resist when said friend was trying to shoot holes into his body. And if he made the mistake of letting her get too close, he’d get caught in between her board’s forked ends, giving his chaser the perfect chance to activate the stinger and electrocute him.
“Hate to break it to you, Valerie. But I’m already dead, so body bags are pretty pointless!” Charging up his ecto-ray, hands glowing green, Danny shot in her direction, holding back just enough so Val would be forced to swirl around the sky to avoid getting hit. It was his signature move when facing off against Valerie: distract her with the need for an evasive maneuver in order to gain enough time to escape himself.
Just as he predicted, when the green rays of energy got closer to her, the Red Huntress willed her board to keep moving to the opposite direction of the blasts. What he hadn’t predicted, though, was that she’d change tactics and face the blasts head-on. The impact caused a plume of smoke to rise up in the air, hiding the girl from view.
Before he could fuss over her safety, however, Valerie rose up above him. Hunched down on her board before elegantly moving to stand tall, a smug grin on her face, she was surrounded by a bluish ghost shield coming from her preferred method of transport. He always forgot she could do that. “That’s too bad.” She said in a fake, sugary voice. “Guess I’ll just have to resign myself to seeing you fade.”
In an instant, she willed three metallic cubes to manifest around her head and shoulders. As the devices charged up, the Red Huntress gave chase to him once more.
Reacting almost a split-second too late, Danny resumed his own attempts of leaving her behind. Whenever an energy beam got too close for comfort, he either put all his years of flying to good use and miraculously managed to avoid getting hit, or he’d focus his energy on forming ecto-shields of different sizesーdepending on her ecto-rays' own intensity. The untrained observer would point out he could just turn intangible and the beams would harmlessly pass through him, but that was too simple. And fighting Val was never simple.
Even when she’d first got her gearーand by that he meant her old, non-Technus-upgraded gearーthe Red Huntress’ various weapons were all capable of hitting him even when he went intangible. Therefore, lowering his guard like that around her was like a clear invitation to get his ass whooped.
Getting frustrated, with Val still hot in his ghost-tail, he bellowed, “Would you just quit it?! I still got a mark from the last time we fought!”
Smirking darkly, Valerie forewent her cubic guns for her trusty ecto-grenade. “Then I know where to hit next.” She declared before throwing the dangerous device at him, hitting him square on his left shoulder.
As a burning pain suddenly spread through his left shoulder to the tip of his fingertips, not all was lost, for the resulting explosion had sent him flying across the sky to the asphalt, effectively putting some much needed distance from him and his pursuer.
Hands propped on the street and barely supporting his weight, Danny laboriously lifted his head up. All around him, people were either running away in fright of the impending battle or crowding the street as they pointed at him, whispering amongst themselves.
Lifting himself up to a sitting position, the halfa gently nursed his aching shoulder, wincing in pain whenever his fingertips touched the sensitive skin. Although whatever damage Valerie had managed to inflict upon him would soon be gone thanks to his enhanced healing factor, he knew he didn’t have the luxury to wait that long. Knowing the ghost hunter, she’d be around, looking for him. And the moment she found him, she’d waste no time resuming their confrontation.
The Red Huntress would never stop until the source of all her misery was finally banished to the Ghost Zone, or disposed off permanently.
Grunting in pain, Danny willed the cold of his core to spread throughout his body until it reached his hands. The moment his hand blazed a familiar, chilly blue he began caressing his suffering shoulder, the cold emanating from his fingertips a welcomed painkiller.
“Is there anything more unfair than being pummeled to a pulp when you’re actually holding back from hurting the other person?” He grunted, but his musings were cut short by another ecto-beam barely missing his head, a whiff of smoke coming from the asphalt that’d cushioned the hit.
His heart suddenly in his throat, the halfa gingerly looked up, only to find Valerie a few feet away from him, a smoking, double-cannoned ecto-bazooka resting on her shoulder, which only elicited the whispers around them to grow louder, more frantic. “Gotcha.” She said, her glare colder than his ice powers.
Adrenaline kicking his brain in overdrive, Danny frantically looked around, trying to find a way to escape that didn’t involve hurting Valerie or any of the onlookers. Argh, if only he could just turn intangible! As he futilely tried crawling away, his gloved hands moving against the asphalt floor below him, the sensation sparked an idea. Maybe turning intangible was useless against the Red Huntress’ weapons, but phasing wasn’t.
The only thing he needed was a distraction, and the whirring sound coming from the charging ecto-bazooka gave him an idea. It was reckless, but that seemed to be his thing lately, wasn’t it?
“Say goodbye, Phantom!” Valerie spat just as the weapon perched on her shoulder was done charging up, shooting a powerful blast his way.
Using the hand that was previously healing his wounds, Danny shot his own ecto-ray at the incoming projectile, causing his adversary to gasp in surprise. “Goodbye, Red!”
As the two forces came into contact with each other, under the stunned gazes of everyone present, they exploded into a blinding light that forced everyone, Valerie included, to shield their eyes. Wasting no time, Danny turned intangible, phasing through the floor and into the Amity Park sewer system. Once underground, he let his transformation drop, knowing Val’s Ghost Radar would find him otherwise, before making his way around the sewers in search of the nearest exit, his body leaning against the wall for support.
After what felt like an eternity, Valerie finally got her forearm out of her face. What was the point in having a dark-tinted visor if she could still be blinded? Once she’d regained the totality of her sight, that is to say, she no longer saw dark spots dancing around her vision, she quickly redirected her gaze to where Phantom stood.
Nothing.
Gasping, Valerie looked up to the sky. As her eyes scanned around for a black and white, flying figure, or even anything amiss in case the Ghost Boy had turned invisible, she soon realised the green-eyed spook was truly nowhere to be seen. Despite her growing frustration at losing her target, the Red Huntress quickly typed a command on her suit, hoping her Ghost Radar could still detect him. No such luck.
Growling in frustration with murder in her eyes, she jumped mid-air, summoning her hoverboard to appear right bellow her. Roaring the engines to life, she took off in direction to Elmerton, her home for the last seven years.
As she soared the skies, Valerie kept looking back and forth between her radar and her surroundings, looking for Phantom. “I was so close, damn it! Every time I think I finally have that ectoplasmic punk right where I want him, he up and disappears!” With a furious yell to the sky, she leaned on her board, using her feet to increase its speed.
Her gear had to be the only good thing that came out of her first encounter with that ghostly bastard. Even if she’d lost everything and her dad was constantly working long hours to keep her in collegeーher wonderful, incredible, genius dad, who deserved much more than just being a crammy security night guardー, at least what happened at Axion Labs all those years ago had given her two things: the gear necessary to become Amity Park’s most powerful ghost hunter, and the purpose to eliminate all bodiless apparitions from the face of the Earth.
Starting by Danny Phantom.
Valerie could only scoff at some people’s stupidity. Although most citizens had half the brains necessary to figure out Danny Phantom was a threat, there were still some who revered him as some kind of hero.
Oh, it was true. He saved the town from falling into that Ghost King’s claws, but didn’t anybody remember what happened afterwards? Because she did. Not even a week after ‘saving’ everyone from a fate worse than deathーand causing her some injuries and for her dad to both find out about her ghost-hunting escapades and forbid her from ever touching her equipment again, to add insult to injuryー, he ascended as the next Ghost King.
And people still celebrated him? Were they blind?!
It was clear that Phantom only ever fought the Ghost King, not to protect Amity Park, or whatever nonsense he kept trying to feed the public, but to dethrone him himself! He wanted that psycho’s position for himself, so he could keep terrorising the town with even less opposition than before!
“Hero my ass…” Valerie scoffed in disbelieving disgust.
But, apparently, only Valerie and the Fentons had any common sense on the matter. “Wow. Never thought I’d have anything in common with the Fentons…” she mused aloud. As much as she’d liked Danny when they were fourteen, his family was a whole different thing.
When she finally made out her apartment complex in the distance, the armored girl couldn’t help but carefully glide near their living room window, where she could see her father sleeping soundly on the couch after a long nightーtoo tired to even go to bed.
Carefully resting her gloved hand against the window glass, worriedly looking at the man who’d been her only source of comfort for as long as she could remember, her heart broke. “Don’t worry, Dad. I promise, one day Phantom’ll be mine. And then we’ll finally cash in that reward and leave this shit hole once and for all.”
With renewed determination, she went around her floor until she was right beside her own room. Due to her always leaving her bedroom window open, all she had to do was squeeze herself inside. Now standing in her room, she deactivated her suit, which disappeared in a swirl of electricity. Walking over her mirror, Valerie picked up a quasi-new set of clothes that were lying on her chair. “But first, let’s pay that college tuition. It won’t look good if I’m late on my first day.”
............
Phasing through the walls, Danny stumbled into his sister’s room. He would’ve fallen face-first on the floor hadn’t it been for his hands instinctively stopping the fall.
Her head snapping to the distinctive sound of a ‘thud’, Jazz immediately swirled around on her computer chair. “A little help?” Danny grunted tiredly.
Gasping at the state her little brother was in, the redhead all but threw herself at him in order to inspect any possible wounds, only to recoil in disgust when she caught a sniff of him, pinching her nose. “Ew! What happened to you to smell that horridly?! What did you do, die for real?”
“I phased through the floor and into the sewers.” The black-haired boy dryly corrected, not appreciating his sister’s skewed priorities. “Now, if you would be so kind as to help me out...”
Jazz at least had the decency to blush. Offering a hand to her brother, she helped him stand up before guiding him to her bed. Then she lowered him on top of it and resumed her previous inspection of him. She jumped back in surprise at Danny’s sudden, sharp inhale of breath when she accidentally grazed his left shoulder.
In an instant, she was basically in his face, fussing over him. “Danny? Are you okay? Is there anything wrong with your shoulder?”
“Everything’s fiー”, he stopped short when he registered her worried look. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I saw Valerie today.”
“Oh, no.” The eldest Fenton kid lamented, knowing where the conversation was headed.
“Yeah...I tried losing her, but in the meantime she landed a few mean punches on me...figuratively speaking, of course.”
“So I’m guessing your shoulder cushioned a nasty one?”
He nodded, barely turning his head to look at her. “Ecto-grenade.” He said simply, and Jazz cringed in sympathy. “Yeah. I numbed the pain a little by applying some cold with my powers, but a few real painkillers might do me some good until it’s properly healed.”
“Sure.” With a nod, Jazz got up from the bed and crossed over to the other side of the room, where her closet was located. Opening the door and standing on her tiptoes to reach the higher shelf, she grabbed her hidden first aid kit before setting it down on her desk. “Any other injuries I should know about?” She asked as she rummaged through her supplies, taking a small plastic jar with Ibuprofen from it.
“Just a superficial cut on my arm. It’s almost completely healed now, but putting a band-aid on it just in case wouldn’t hurt.”
Flopping herself down next to her baby brother again, medical supplies in hand, Jazz helped Danny out of his t-shirt. When she saw the burns on his shoulder, though, she couldn’t help but wince. “Are you sure you don’t want me to put some bandages on it, Danny? It looks pretty bad…”
The halfa sighed. He knew his sister would fuss over his health; she always did. “It’ll heal, Jazz. It always does.” Then he caught her expression from the corner of his eye. “...but if it’ll make you feel better, I suppose a few bandages just in case don’t so bad.”
Nodding readily, the aqua-eyed woman went to quickly retrieve some of the aforementioned bandages from her kit. Then she proceeded to wrap them around her brother’s left shoulder and pectorals. When Danny sent her a questioning look, she just shrugged and said, “Just in case.”
With his shoulder taken care of, Danny, almost begrudgingly, stretched his arm out to her, letting her inspect his cut. Even though he was right and it was just a flesh wound, it was still important to clean it. Pouring some disinfectant on a bunch of cotton balls, with the help of tweezers she gently dubbed the cotton against his skin, prompting Danny to wince in displeasure.
She rolled her eyes at his childishness, annoyed. “Oh, come on! You literally just faced a ghost huntress, walked around the sewers for who knows how long, and this is something to complain about? Don’t be such a baby!”
“Hey, you have no right to complain about me complaining! You’re not the one who’s routinely going through some kind of medical procedure.” And he’d never want her to go through one; not even a simple check up.
“Whatever,” she said as she put the band-aid on. She dusted her hands off before smiling proudly at him. “All done. Now, go get some rest before it’s time to go and you have to shower.”
Danny pouted. “Do we still have to go? Jazz, I’m injured…” He tried to bargain with his best sad, puppy-dog look.
Jazz wasn’t buying, though. “Should’ve thought about that before you assured me your wounds would heal soon. Come on, Danny, you know I’ve been dying to try this place out and you promised to take me.”
“Can’t you take Tucker with you while I rest, instead?”
“No, because,” she lifted three fingers up, ready to count her options off, “one, he’s not my brother, and I’d like to go with my brother. Two, if you turn your head to my nightstand ever so slightly, you’ll see it’s only 12:30 PM on a Saturday; we’re leaving at sevenーyou’ll have plenty of time to rest. And three...can you really imagine Tucker stepping foot in that sort of place even if I bribed him with $1000?”
Danny visibly deflated at that. “No…”
“Then it’s settled.” Jazz declared. “Go to your room and rest. I’ll tell Mum and Dad you came while they were working on the lab and that you’re tired from an all-nighter of working on an assignment.”
“You’d think they’d be surprised I’m not getting straight A’s with all the times we’ve used the studying excuse on them…” Danny muttered as he left his sister's room.
Standing against the door, Jazz shrugged. “Mum thinks spending so many nights awake studying is actually counter-productive, so…”
Danny chuckled before standing in front of his room’s door. Before going in, however, he called out to her. “Uh, Jazz?”
“Hm?”
“You’re the best.” He smiled at her.
She smiled back. “Anytime, Baby Brother.”
..............
A deafening roar echoed throughout the manor. Her heart pounding, Sam ran as fast as she could along the corridors, barely registering where she was going. She took so many turns around the halls she lost count, all portraits and decorations merging together so it’d look like she was running through the same, never ending hallway. But she didn’t care. All that mattered was getting to the origin of the noise.
When she finally arrived before the gates guarding the bloodcurdling sounds, she skidded to a halt so abruptly she almost gave herself whiplash. Now that she was closer to the source, Sam could also make out the sound of screaming coming from inside the room. And when she noticed just where the roaring and screaming was coming from, her heart all but stopped.
The training room.
The place where the younger members of the clan practiced and perfected their magic. Whatever happened there now had a group of kids trapped!
She had to do something!
But, being the queen and therefore not being able to afford anything happening to her in fear of unleashing a civil war, she’d promised she’d wait for Wilhelmina to arrive, or at the very least, for Paulina and Star to support her.
Anxiously, her eyes kept darting back and forth in all directions, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, would soon come to help. They couldn’t risk their kids’ lives like that. Suddenly, the roars and screams only got louder, accompanied by the sounds of thrashing and the crunching of wood being broken.
Whatever it was that was going on, it was mayhem!
The minutes felt like hours and there was still no sight of her Minister of War or her handmaidens. Fear gripping at her heart, terrified for the sake of the students trapped behind those doors, Sam threw all caution to the wind. Willing her mind to clear so she could establish a proper connection with her anima, the Witch Queen cupped her hands together in front of her chest, taking advantage of the extra dose of adrenaline to fuel her essence. As soon as she felt the familiar pull of power, she opened her now blazing, violet eyes and shouted, “Aries!”
From her open palms a host of purple light began to take form. In the blink of an eye, the spell solidified, shooting forwards to the gates and effectively crushing them by sheer force. As the dust resulting from the impact cleared, allowing Sam to finally see what was going on, all she could do was gasp.
Standing tall and imposing in the middle of the room, surrounded by a group of terrified students who were hiding from it in the furthest corner of the classroom behind a row of desks, a gigantic iguana, the size of that dragon ghost that sometimes haunted the town, roared as it shoved tables out of its wayーtheir now spilled contents cluttered the floor.
When the giant reptile’s eye landed on her, obviously taking notice of the explosion of light, Sam felt her blood run cold. And yet, in spite of the danger, she preferred having the beast targeting her than causing harm to the girls. As the creature threateningly stomped in the direction she was in, the young queen formulated a plan.
If she could just keep the iguana distracted long enough until Wilhelmina came, she could win enough time to allow the kids to escape. But she’d have to tell them her plan as well.
“And I know how.” She mused aloud with a smirk on her face. She was just glad she was currently wearing pants instead of an extravagant dress.
As she waited for the reptile to get closer to her, biding her time, Sam intertwined her fingers save for her indexes and thumbs, which were in contact with each other. Then, just as the iguana’s claw was about to strike, she mimicked the action of a gun shooting with her arms. “Ignis!” She cried out.
From her fingertips she kept shooting energy beams at the monster as she ran in the direction the girls were in. When one of her beams hit the iguana in the eye, causing it to cry out in pain and, most importantly, to be distracted, Sam quickly slid down to behind the remaining desksーwhere the girls were.
“Girls, are you okay?!” She whispered-shouted as soon as she caught sight of them. They were a small group, six girls around the ages of 10-12.
One of them, a brunette with green eyesーViolet, if Sam wasn’t wrongー, spoke up on behalf of her friends. “Your Majesty! Oh, thank Goodness...Yeah, we’re fine. As soon as that thing appeared we ran and hid here.”
The violet-eyed witch sighed in relief. “Thank God. Alright, Violet, right?” The girl nodded, the smile on her face was so wide due to the Queen remembering her name, one would almost forget they were all in danger. “Right. I need you to tell me how this happened. And why are you guys all alone, shouldn’t an adult be with you at all times?”
Lola, a shy girl with black hair and glasses, and a distant relative of Paulina, answered instead. “Uh, well, we-we weren’t alone, your Highness.”
She’d have to tell them some other time that title was for princes and princesses, not queens. But first, saving their lives. “What do you mean, Lola? Who was with you?”
“Wilhelmina.”
“Wilhelmina?!” she repeated, a little too loudly. Wincing at the realisation, she hushed the girls in case the iguana had heard them. Whimpering in fright, the kids got closer to her, and she unconsciously wrapped her arms around them. After a few minutes and no response from the monster, Sam let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Okay. Girls, can you explain to me why Wilhelmina isn’t here? It’s not like her to leave students unsupervised.”
“Class was ending, anyway.” Violet explained. “She said she had something to do and that she trusted us to clean everything up before we left.”
Sam did not like where this was going. “And the giant iguana?”
“We don’t know.” Lola said, then she pointed at one of her friends, a blonde named Tamara. “We were talking about the familiars we’d like to have when we completed our Rite of Passage while we were finishing brewing today’s potion when Tammy said she’d wish to have an iguana. And, boom!”
“Is that true, Tammy?” Sam questioned the girl.
Tammy nodded, tearing up. “Y-yes…I-I said...I-I’d like...a-an iguana and...and then...the p-potion...started b-boiling...and o-out of n-nowhere...that...that monster appeared!” She admitted between cries.
Panicking, both because of the little girl crying and the potential danger of being discovered, Sam scooted closer to her, wiping her tears away with her hands. “Shh, shh! It’s okay, Tammy. It’s not your faultーthese things happen!”
“R-really?”
The queen nodded, smiling reassuringly at her. “Really. This sort of thing happens all the time. You’ll learn what it is soon enough.”
“So I’m not in trouble?”
“No, you’re not.”
Before Sam could so much as blink, the girl threw her arms at her, hugging her. The raven-haired witch stiffened at the contact, not used to dealing with physical affection...or kids. After a minute, though, she relaxed and returned the embrace. Tammy needed comfort at the moment.
“What do we do now, your Majesty?” Violet asked, bringing her queen back to Earth.
“Is that thing going to eat us?” Lola insisted, looking positively spooked.
“No, no. None of that!” Sam assured them, letting go of Tammy. “Because I have a plan.” She motioned with her hands for the girls to get closer to her before continuing. “First of all, don’t worry. Iguanas are herbivores; they don’t eat meat, let alone humans! So listen closely, any minute now Wilhelmina, my ladies-in-waiting, and whoever else they’d called for help will appear through that door. I’ll share my plan with them and while we keep the iguana busy, you’ll run away from here. Understood?”
The group nodded readily. “Good.”
“Your Majesty, where are you?!” A familiar voice called out to her.
Crawling quietly, Sam dedicated one last look at the younger witches. “Remember, don’t move until I tell you to go, got it?”
“Got it.” The six of them said in unison.
With a nod of her own, Sam crawled out of her hiding place before standing up and breaking into a full run to the direction the voice came fromーapparently, it was Susan who’d called out to her, accompanying her mentor. The latter, as well as Star and Paulina, were blocking the reptile’s exit.
“Ignis!” repeating her actions from earlier, she shot another energy beam at the beast, before standing beside her subjects.
“What is that thing!?” Paulina asked, looking completely revolted.
“It’s the result of a spell gone awry.” The Witch Queen answered. “A girl got distracted while brewing a potion and this is the result.”
“What kind of distraction?” Star raised an eyebrow.
“What do you think?” Sam replied as if that was all the answer she needed.
Apparently, it was, because nobody else said a word until Wilhelmina’s hoarse voice broke the silence. “Your Majesty! What are you doing here!? You’re supposed to wait for help to come!”
The Goth couldn’t be bothered to pretend she cared about the protocol right now, especially not after discovering her fellow Council member had left a group of witches in-training completely unsupervised. “Not now, Wilhelmina! The kids are still here; we’ve gotta help them escape!”
“And how are we going to do that?” Star let out, trying to hold down the barrier of fiery, orange energy she’d created to prevent the beast from leaving the training room.
“I have a plan.” Sam turned her attention to the potion-maker in-training. “Susan! Do you have one of your Minisize Me potions on you?”
The Asian teenager reached for her bandolier and grabbed a spherical jar in her hand. “Always, your Majesty!”
“Good! While Star holds the barrier down, Wilhelmina, Paulina, and I will try to restrain our little friend long enough for the girls to escape. As soon as the last girl has left the room, you have to throw the potion at the monster. It’s the only way to take care of it!” She then turned to her lady-in-waiting. “Star, the moment this thing’s all tied up, you let your barrier go so the girls can leave, got it?”
“Yes, my Queen!” Both girls exclaimed in unison, readying themselves.
“Very well. Wilhelmina, Paulina,” she called out to them, “you take care of binding the reptile with me. Wilhelmina, since you’ve got the potions, you take care of its hind legs and tail; Paulina, you tie its left paw down. Ready?” Getting twin nods from her fellow witches, they all charged against the monster.
As Sam and Paulina projected their respective animas in the form of a lasso with a scream of “Conjunctionis ligaveris!”, Wilhelmina used her own essence to propel herself above the beast, landing nimbly behind it. While the young queen and the Latina struggled to keep the reptile in place, their purple and soft pink animas tied tightly around its front paws, the potion-maker rummaged through her trusty bag, looking for her BubbleBomb potion. At the same time as she tried to dodge the animal’s large tail.
Maybe Susan was right and she did need to organise her collection in a pair of twin bandoliers, just like her apprentice.
Just as she was beginning to get frustrated, her finger brushed against a sticky substance. A familiar, sticky substance. Crying out in triumph, she got the jar with the sticky, pink slime from inside of her bag, just in time to be lifted up in the air by the force behind the collision of the iguana’s tail hitting the ground. Using her momentum, Wilhelmina smashed the bottle against the floor, which then exploded in a bubble of pink slime, effectively restraining the giant reptile’s movements.
“Girls, now!” Sam cried out, struggling to keep her focus long enough to keep the iguana down for much longer.
The kids didn’t need to be told twice. As soon as their queen gave the order, they got out from their hiding spot and ran towards the door, where Star was waiting for them. Upon seeing them, she lowered her barrier, exhaling in between pants due to the physical exertion, thus allowing the group of kids to leave the room safe and sound.
Smiling at their retrieving forms, Star cupped a hand around her mouth to call out to the, now, youngest witch in the room. “Susan, it’s all up to you now!”
Determined to not let her queen and mentor down, Susan ran towards the closest wall before leaping in the air feet-first towards it. The moment her feet came into contact with its surface, the teenager propelled herself to rise high above the ginormous beast. As soon as she was within optimal range, she hurled the spherical jar at it, which broke against the iguana’s hard-as-steel scales. In an instant, a cloud of turquoise, twinkling smoke enveloped the beast.
Coughing and clearing the air around her with a wave of her hand, Sam dared look up to the direction the large creature once stood at. To her immense relief, she saw nothing. So willing her magic to deactivate, she walked over to where the, now, normal-sized iguana was.
Smiling, she picked the lizard up. “You gave us quite the scare, right, little guy?”
“What do you intend to do with it, your Majesty?” Susan asked as soon as she nimbly landed on her feet the same way a professional gymnast would.
“Why don’t you keep it? I believe you’ve mentioned Duke Scalynton needed a friend a few times now.” She suggested as she handed the iguana to the potion-maker in-training.
Looking down at the iguana in her hands, she turned to her mentor. “Would that be alright, Ms. Redring?”
“Perfectly so, Susan. Don’t worry.” Wilhelmina assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You did well today.”
Susan smiled brightly at that. Sam, on the contrary, could only frown at her. “Wilhelmina, the kids told me you were supposed to be looking after them, but you left them to clean everything by themselves before classes were officially over.”
The Minister of War remained impassive. “My apologies, your Majesty. I had other matters to attend to that required my immediate attention, and since today’s potion was rather simple, I supposed they’d be fine on their own for a few minutes.”
“So because you had better things to do you completely ignored one of our most important rules and risked the lives of six little girls in the process?” Sam seethed, arms crossed, her eyes blazing a dangerous, dark violet for a second.
Wilhelmina narrowed her own eyes on her. “Careful, your Majesty. I don’t believe you’re in any position to say anything. Seeing as how often you completely disregard protocol; or have you already forgotten that you should have waited for back up before facing off against the threat yourself, hm?”
Sam balled her hands into fists at her sides, knowing, and hating, that she had her there. Turning around to leave the room, she spat. “Just, don’t let it happen again.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, my Queen.” The brunette let out, almost sinisterly.
Susan was petting her new pet when she noticed a shadow casted over her. Looking up, she almost gasped. “You did well today, girl. Just, do me a favour and keep that thing away from me.” Paulina told her with a smile, keeping a respectable distance between herself and the iguana in the teenager’s arms.
Susan’s mind, other times sharp and focused, was suddenly completely blank. Mouth hanging open and eyes blinking at random intervals, she was sure she was gaping at the beautiful woman before her. “Uh...I...I mean…,” she stammered, “y-you look good, too! I-I mean! You did good, too. Obviously. Ah! Not like you don’t look good, too! You always look good! Just...you know, yeah…” She finished lamely.
Oh, why couldn’t the iguana have eaten her before she spouted all that nonsense?!
“Okay…” The Latina drawled. “Well, I gotta go. See ya.”
“Yeah, see ya…” The teenage girl sighed dreamily, before realising what she was doing and facepalming herself.
Now that they were outside of the training room and accompanying Sam to her quarters, for they had to help her get ready, Paulina eyed her best friend’s knowing grin in distaste. “What?” She snapped.
“Somebody’s got a crush on you!” The blonde teased in a sing-song voice, the shit-eating grin never leaving her face.
But the Latina just huffed. “Please! And who doesn’t? I’ve had my fair share of admirers since we were in ninth grade, Star. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”
“That may be true,” Star conceded, “but I think this is the first time a younger girl’s crushing on you and you’re actually nice to her. The Pauli from back in Senior year would’ve crushed her dreams in a heartbeat.” She commented offhandedly, ignoring the look of pure horror flashing through their Queen’s face.
The blue-eyed beauty just rolled her eyes. Since she wasn’t used to being on the receiving end, she often forgot how ruthless her best friend could be when she was met with some quality gossip. “I’m not eighteen anymore, Star! And Susan’s a good kid, of course I’m not going to be a bitch to her.”
“So you like her back?” The blonde asked, now feeling apprehensive.
“Are you crazy?!” Paulina snapped at her, turning her face in her direction so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. “First of all, she’s seventeen! I might like to party, but I’d never date a minor.” She sniffed in displeasure. Seriously, what was this girl thinking?!
Her fellow handmaiden sighed in relief. “Thank Goodness, I was actually worried for a second. Just...try letting her down gently, okay?”
“Who do you take me for? Besides, even if she were our age, which, again, she’s not, I just don’t swing that way.”
Star let out a hollow laugh. “Don’t try selling me the ‘I don’t swing that way excuse’, I’ve seen you throw your principles out of the window for the sake of screwing people over. And about letting her down gently, admit it Pauli, you can be a bit of a bitch.”
Sam, not daring to say a word, could only furrow her brow at what her subjects were saying. “What the Hell?”
Ignoring their queen’s silent judgement, Paulina gasped in surprise. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
Rather than backing off given her friend’s reaction, Star only snorted. “Oh, come on. Don’t pretend you don’t remember that one time in ninth grade that you agreed to go to homecoming with a complete loser just so Dash could play a joke on him.” Then, she turned pensive. “Hm, now that I think about it, we never did pull the prank on him...I wonder why.” She muttered to herself.
Paulina’s mouth made an ‘o’ shape at the reminder. “Oooooh, that’s right! Yes, I did totally do that. Such a shame the guy was a total loser; he at least had decent taste in jewelry.”
The two kept chattering away until they noticed their queen’s appalled expression, her jaw hanging low. Giggling sheepishly, Paulina tried to save some face, Star nodding with a forced smile beside her. “That was a long time ago. We’ve grown up, we promise.”
Blinking slowly at them, Sam forced her mouth shut. Doing a dusting-her-hands-off motion, she symbolically separated herself from anything having to do with their high school lives. “Something tells me we wouldn’t have got along growing up.”
“Then isn’t it great we only met outside of high school?” Star offered.
“I think I’d much rather you just talk to me either about things going on inside the manor, or whatever crazy shit you’re up to at college.” The violet-eyed witch insisted as she turned her doorknob to let them in. For that day’s appointment she wanted to spice things up a little, but she still wanted a simple look that matched with her usual self, hence why she needed the girls’ help.
“Oh. My. God!” Paulina exclaimed, raising her palms up as she entered the room. “You will not believe the drama that’s stirring at APU right now!”
Star, who was already seated on one of Sam’s chairs, made a sound of appreciation. “Ooooh! Do tell.”
As Sam went over to her closet and began to randomly pick up different clothes to ask the girl’s opinion onーt-shirts, jeans, skirts, dresses even…ーPaulina went on with her retelling, she and Star sporadically putting a stop on their conversation to give their queen some feedback. “Remember Tiffany? That two-faced, bitchy classmate of mine who’s been totally jealous of me since, like, forever?”
“Tiffany is a rather stereotypically bitchy name.” Sam commented, her focus on two different t-shirts. “As in, high school queen bee, cheerleader captain kind of bitchy.”
“I was a high school queen bee, cheerleader captain, Sam.” Paulina deadpanned.
“Oh!” Sam faulted, biting her lip in embarrassment as she wondered how she’d fix that one. “Well, your name is not stereotypically bitchy...Tiffany is. I mean, how many high school chick flick villains are dumb blondes called Brittany, or Tiffany, or Cassidy…?”
“She does have a point.” Star conceded, propping her elbow against the chair’s back.
With her index and thumb cupping her chin, the Latina ‘hmmed’ in acknowledgement. “Fair enough. Anyway, Sandra told me that Luka told her that Eliza told him that Tiffany’s out to get me ‘cause she’s so jealous it’s ripping her apart.”
As her ladies-in-waiting turned down her latest outfit, Sam arched an eyebrow, not following the conversation. “But didn’t you just say she’s always been jealous of you? What’s new about that?”
“What’s new is that now she’s jealous of me because Brad Carmichael, her ex-boyfriend with whom she broke up because he was dating a girl from Elmerton University behind her backーnot like she’s been a model girlfriend herself, if you know what I meanー, is apparently into me. And she can’t stand it.”
“But are you into Brad?” Star questioned, while Sam was busier wondering how she even managed to keep track of what Paulina was talking about in the first place. She’d already forgotten the guy’s name was Brad, for fuck’s sake! Her best guess was that keeping up with the latest gossip was some sort of ‘popular girl’ superpower.
Paulina let herself flop down on Sam’s bed with a noncommittal sound coming from her throat. “I mean, Brad’s cute, but I’m sort of seeing Matthew at the moment you know?”
“Sort of seeing?” Sam echoed.
“Yeah, he wants us to go steady but, like, I don’t know if I want to tie myself down to anyone right now, you know? I just don’t think I’m ready to be ‘Matthew’s girlfriend.’ But I know that if I tell him that, he’ll think I want to stop going out altogether, when I just don’t want to rush to label what we have. That’s all.”
“Why do you even have to become ‘Matthew’s girlfriend’? Why can’t he be ‘Paulina’s boyfriend’?” For a moment there, Sam worried the feminist inside her had ruined the conversation, if their silence was any indication, until Paulina, almost automatically, moved to a sitting position, looking like she’d just had a spiritual awakening.
“OMG, you’re so right! “ She exclaimed. “If Matthew can’t accept being labeled my boyfriend, then he’s not worthy of my time. Period. Thanks for the advice, Sam.”
“Uh, you’re welcome?” Sam said, feeling unsure. “Now, could you guys please help me get ready? ‘Cause I still don’t know what to wear…”
Both ladies-in-waiting exchanged a glance, before shrugging. Star was the one who voiced their opinion. “The clothes you have in your hands right now are fine. Just combine them with your usual look and you’ve got your casual, yet original, outfit.”
Looking down at the items in hand, Sam had to admit, they really seemed perfect. “Thanks, girls. You two are the best.”
“We know.” They said in unison.
............
The Verde Que te Quiero Verde was the latest rage in vegetarian restaurants. The establishment was owned by a couple of elderly Mexican immigrants who, per their grandson’s suggestion, had given the typical Tex-Mex food a vegan spin.
All websites reviewing the place gave nothing but praise to the meals and service, and about half of the comments recommended asking for their nachos with guacamole and vegan cheese. Its prices were also known for being very reasonable.
‘Lowly’ Mexican food turned vegan and exorbitant-prices free, the kind of place Pamela Manson would rather die than step foot in.
Which was why Sam was so thankful that Saturday night it was just her dad and her, for her mother was busy background checking anyone who wanted to rent the manor for the upcoming Halloween.
Her dad and her were already seated and looking over the menus, but she couldn’t help being distracted by her surroundings. Despite the more modern take, the Verde Que te Quiero Verde resembled the typical Mexican hacienda, with its white-chalk walls, the red tile roofs, its arches… The restaurant was even a two-story building whose second floor, which held even more tables, had balconies offering a nice view of the fountain in the middle of the room and tables surrounding it below.
It was positively lovely.
And yet...Sam couldn’t quite enjoy it as much as she’d like.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was definitely off with Wilhelmina. Leaving a group of inexperienced, little girls at their mercy while they performed magic? What was she thinking?! She had no idea how lucky she was, had anything happened to any of the girls and she would’ve been put to trial, leading to losing her position as Council member, at best, or to being expelled from the coven altogether, at worst.
Subconsciously, Sam gripped her menu a little tighter. Wilhelmina was already around when she was a kid and Grandma Ida was still queen. Back then, she remembered, she gave off this strict and stern vibe, even more so than Margaret with her by-the-book nature. But ever since she ascended to the throne, her strictiness had turned into outright arrogance.
Back when she was fourteen and had just volunteered herself as the next queen, Wilhelmina seemed the less willing to give in. She was the quickest to point out her age and inexperience, and Margaret and the, then, newly appointed Delilah miraculously managed to get their fellow member to give her a chance. If just barely.
Even know, after seven years of devout sacrifice in the name of the Amity Park Clan, that frustrating pain in the butt still hadn’t let go of her reservations towards her; often making snide comments that casted doubts on her leadershipーlike the one from earlier…ー, or looking over her shoulder with an air of superiority.
All that, Sam could, begrudgingly, put up with. But putting innocent kids in harm’s way and then having the gall to act all smug on her?! What if Phantom had been right? What if there really were witches up to no good right under her nose? What if…?
“Sammy?” Her dad’s voice cut through her thoughts like a knife cut through butter.
“Huh?” She responded, oh, so eloquently.
“Are you okay? I’ve been calling you for a while now and you haven’t answered until now. Also, it looks like you’ve tried to strangle your menu over some sort of terrible crime…” He pointed at the crumbled piece of paper in her hands to demonstrate his point.
Looking down and noticing the mess she’d made of the poor aforementioned piece of paper, she set it down gently with a sheepish smile on her face, “I’m fine, Dad. Just...thinking.”
“About what?”
“Stuff.” At her dad’s questioning, raised eyebrow she elaborated. “Frustrating stuff.”
“Kiddo, please, enter a literary contest; you’re so eloquent and articulate.” Jeremy deadpanned, setting his own menu down and propping his chin on his intertwined hands.
Sam rolled her eyes, letting out a hollow laugh. “Hilarious, Dad. Aren’t you supposed to be the preppy and optimistic one of the two?”
“I am.” He agreed. “But I’m also a Manson and your Grandma’s son. So you could say snarking runs in the family.”
Parents looking as smug and self-satisfied as her dad did at that moment should be illegal. Crossing her arms with a scowl, Sam slouched on her seat. “Whatever.”
Jeremy just shook his head fondly at his daughter. “You’re lucky your mother isn’t here right now, young lady. Otherwise, she would scold you on your posture.”
The mere mention of her mother made her straighten up, reflexively.
“But now seriously, kiddo. What’s the matter? You know you can talk to your old man about anything.” He offered her an encouraging smile.
Unfortunately, his readiness to be there for her only made her heart sank. No, I can’t, she wanted to say, but instead opted for, “I’m...having trouble with a...with a classmate.” She lied, hating herself for it. “I was elected as team leader, but she’s never quite been able to accept it. Maybe she wanted the position herself, maybe she just doesn’t think I’m good for the job...I don’t know. All I know is that she makes no effort in hiding her displeasure.
“Which, okay. I can take it, I guess. I mean, one more person who doesn’t like me! Boy is that old news...But she’s made a mistake recently and she didn’t even apologise; she just rubbed my own mistakes in my face. And I...I don’t know what to do, Dad.”
Jeremy stayed quiet for a minute, just observing his daughter with a keen eye. Maybe saying he and Sam were close was a little far-fetched; Pamela and, surprisingly enough, his mother had always insisted on signing her up for a million extracurricular activities growing upーironic, when one took the fact that she’d also been homeschooled for most of her life into consideration. But he’d learned long ago to not question it, after all, their Sammy had turned out okay and very capable in the end.
He had to admit, he didn’t always understand her, either. Like her interest in the occult, her love for loud, unsavory bands with questionable taste in names, or her insistence on being identified as a Goth since she was twelve. As a man used to making his wife happy with diamonds the size of strawberries, giving his daughter spiked collars for her birthday left him feeling a little queasy. But, hey, if it made her happy… As long as she didn’t join a cult he was golden.
But there were still moments when even Sam, his strong-willed, independent, confident baby girl, felt vulnerable against the cruel world she lived in. And it was in those moments when he had to take the lead and be the responsible authority figure in the relationship. Moments like now.
Reaching across the table, he rested his hand atop of hers, directing her attention to him. “Sometimes people will try to make our lives difficult, but we mustn’t let that stop us from doing what we think it’s right. So your friend doesn’t think you’re doing a good job leading the team? Then let her think that! If it’s only one person who feels that way, then she’s probably just trying to mess with you.
“But if the other people in your group feel the same way, then maybe you should take a moment to reevaluate things. Don’t be afraid to ask this girl about her opinion. Who knows? Maybe she does have something valuable to contribute.”
Alright, this was all great advice for actual teamwork, but it didn’t apply to her problem. She was trying to rule a coven, not decorate the gym for the upcoming prom. “What are you trying to say, Dad?”
“I just think you shouldn’t take everything on by yourself, Sammy.” He said as he patted her hand, then he leaned back on his chair at the same time as he picked his forgotten menu up. “Now, do you know what you want to eat, or should we wait a few more minutes?”
Sam couldn’t help sending her dad a small smile, even if it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was about to answer when she caught sight of something over his shoulder that made her breath hitch. “Holy shit!”
Jeremy’s head shot up at that. “Samantha, language!”
Uh, oh. He used her full name. “Uh, sorry about that, Dad.” She apologised sheepishly, before standing up and pointing behind him, much to Jeremy’s horror. What was up with this girl’s manners today!? “It’s just that I know the person who’s just entered the restaurant.”
Turning around much more discreetly than Sam, Jeremy raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “You mean the people talking to the maître d’?”
Completely unaware of the fact that they were the focus of the conversation of two of the restaurant’s patrons, Jazz and Danny stood at the entrance, talking to the maître d’. Well, Jazz was talking to the maître d’, looking almost unhinged, Danny was just praying they wouldn’t be kicked out just because his sister had chosen now, of all times, to act as unreasonable as their dad.
“What do you mean there’s no table available?!” She screeched, causing a few customers to turn around to look at her and her brother to look away in embarrassment. “I made the reservation almost two weeks ago! Fenton, Jazz Fenton. Come on, I highly doubt there’s many more Fentons in Amity Park.”
The man tending to them had to be the most patient person on the planet, Danny figured. Or the most emotionless. “My apologies, Miss. But there really is no reservation under a Jazz Fenton.”
“Maybe you put it under another member of the family?” Danny offered before addressing the headwaiter himself. “How about under Danny Fenton?”
The employee looked through his agenda before shaking his head.
“And Maddie Fenton?” Jazz tried.
Again, the man shook his head no.
“Jack Fenton?” She was starting to grow desperate now.
And, again, no such luck.
Watching as Jazz’s eye started twitching, Danny genuinely feared he’d have to restrain his sister from doing something crazy when the sound of someone clearing their throat caught everyone’s attention. Looking at the direction the sound came from, the Fenton siblings could only gape at the sight of a middle-aged man with perfectly coiffed, blond hair, dark blue eyes, and sharply dressed with a crochet vest, light, khaki pants, and black dress shoes standing before them.
The mysterious man turned to the maître d’. “It’s quite alright, my good sir. They’re with us.”
The emotionless man suddenly developed a personality, for he smiled brightly at the other man. “Oh, I see! Would you like some extra chairs, sir?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Of course, we’ll bring some extra chairs, utensils, and menus to your table momentarily.” And with that the waiter left them alone.
The blond turned to them, a welcoming smile on his face. “Don’t be shy, you two. Come sit with us.” And, by some sort of spell, they followed after him.
In the meantime, brother and sister shared a questioning glance. They were both obviously curious as to who these ‘us’ were. Clearing his throat, Danny ventured. “Um, excuse me sir, but do we know you?”
The mystery, well-dressed man just laughed cordially. “Oh, no. You certainly don’t. As a matter of fact, I don’t know you, either. But my daughter seems to know you, young man.”
Before Danny could so much as ask what he was even talking about, the man stopped beside a table, motioning with his hand to his companion. The halfa almost fell flat on his butt in astonishment.
Getting up from her chair was Sam. Although she had a different outfit than usual, her style was still mostly casual, as opposed to her companion’s preppy clothes.
She was wearing a simple black t-shirt with a drawing of a purple rose on it (why was it so familiar?); a neon green skirt with a spiderweb pattern; a spiked collar with a purple pendant was around her neck; and she wore fingerless, black fishnet gloves. Other than that she looked the same as always. She still had her trademark combat boots and thigh-length, purple stockings on, and her hair was still long and black on one side, while the other was shaved with purple undertones; a green ponytail in a purple scrunchie sticking up.
“Sam, is that you?” He breathed out.
The girl in question could barely believe her eyes. Right in front of her was Danny. She was almost stunned she could recognise him practically anywhere. But then she rationalised; of course she’d recognise him! He looked practically the same as always! With his messy, jet-black hair falling down his face; a pair of blue jeans, his favourite red sneakers...The only thing different about him was the hoodie he was wearing, really. It was mostly white, except for its red cuffs, zipper, draw strings, and the circle it had plastered on its front.
...well, the only thing that was different was his hoodie and the girl beside him, now that she took a better look.
She was around her height, but she seemed slightly older. She was a redhead sporting a cute pixie cut, with a lovely face and striking, aqua eyes. The girl was wearing a square, teal plaid dress over a white, long-sleeved shirt, and black tights with white boots. Her outfit was perfectly coordinated, except for a brown, leather shoulder bag that seemed oddly out of place.
Sam was sure she had never seen her before, but she was just so familiar…
Noticing she was up and Danny was still waiting for her answer, she hurriedly went over to him to shake his and his companion’s hands. “Yes! Yes, it’s me, Danny. And...I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but you are…?”
“Oh, I’m Jazz!” The mysterious girl perked up. “I’m Danny’s sister.”
“Oh, she’s just his sister,” Sam thought to herself, relieved. Wait, relieved? What did she have to be worried about? She thought best to shake those feelings off and stow them for later. “Nice to meet you. I’m Sam, a friend of Danny’s.”
Jazz’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Oh, so you’re Sam! Danny’s told me about you.”
“He has?” Both Mansons asked, but for completely different reasons. And only one of them knew exactly why they asked.
Just as they were introducing themselves, the restaurant’s staff came and set the two extra chairs and items down. His senses tinglingーonly it wasn’t his Ghost Sense, but a sense of danger he couldn’t quite put his finger onー, Danny focused his attention on the other man at the table, who seemed to be glaring daggers at him, for some reason. He swallowed the uncomfortable lump in his throat. “I’m sorry, sir. But I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”
The blond plastered a smile on his face as they finally sat down. To anyone else, it would’ve seemed friendly, but to Danny it looked oddly sinister. “Oh, my bad. I’m Jeremy, Jeremy Manson. I’m Sam’s father.”
While a primal fear clutched Danny’s heart in an iron grip, Jazz audibly gasped. “Wait, Jeremy Manson? As in, the Mansons?”
His sister’s astonished expression, as well as Sam’s mortified one, enabled him to ignore his sudden worries for a minute in favour of his curiosity. “You know them?” He asked his sister.
In turn, Jazz just scoffed, looking away from him in exasperation. Of course not only would Danny have no idea who he hung out with, he also had to embarrass them right in front of the two people in question. “Danny, I think you’re literally the only person in all of Amity Park who doesn’t know them. Ironically…” Seeing as he still didn’t get the hint, she gave up. “The Mansons are the descendants of Izzy Manson, the inventor of the machine that wraps cellophane around chopsticks, and therefore, they oversee the patent.”
“So, you’re saying…”
Ugh, somebody put her out of her misery, goddamnit! “She’s saying we’re rich, Danny. Very. Stinking. Rich.” Sam deadpanned. Well, there went that little piece of information she didn’t like her friends finding out about. Although, a part of her was about to burst out laughing at the way the boy’s eyes all but popped out of their sockets.
Danny, on his part, didn’t know what was more shocking. The fact that Sam came from a wealthy family, or the fact that she, a cynical, brooding, activism-oriented girl, was related to classy, perky, sunny Jeremy Manson. They literally had nothing in common! Not even facial features! Unless Sam was just a carbon copy of her mother, those were some weird genetics.
Danny’s prolonged silence made her grow anxious, so Sam quickly changed topics. “So...what are you doing here? You know this place serves vegetables, right?” She just hoped their usual teasing dynamics would save them from the awkwardness.
Luckily for her, it did. The halfa countered her teasing tone with an easy grin. “Yeah, I know. But Jazz was really looking forward to coming to this place and, since convincing our fudge-loving father to take her would have been impossible, she played the older sister card on me.”
Jazz just huffed in response. “Oh, shut up. Just be thankful this is a vegan, Mexican restaurant; you’re bound to find something you like.”
“Yeah, I can always just stuff my face on nachos with guacamole.” He quipped back.
The hazel-eyed student turned her focus to the older girl, her face lighting up. “Oh! You’re vegan?”
“Oh, no. I’m not. I’m just much more willing to eat healthy food than my brother, who I still don’t understand how he could’ve grown so much given his atrocious diet!” She finished pointedly.
“Hey!” Danny protested. “My diet’s not ‘atrocious’! So what if I’m not actively looking for vegan restaurants? I still eat everything I need.”
“I once saw you eat nothing but oreos and soda for two weeks when you were sixteen.” His sister pointed out, without missing a beat.
That made him wince, not appreciating the reminder. “Okay, so maybe that wasn’t my best moment. But, the soda gave me the liquids and sugar I needed and the oreos gave me carbohydrates and proteinーmaybe, if they’re baked with milk…”
“Oreos are actually vegan.” Sam pointed out.
Although her comment was meant to annul his point, it seemed to validate it, instead, for he sent a smug look at Jazz. “Ha! You heard that? Turns out I’m healthier than you, Daisy Green.”
“Oh, just shut up.” His sister grunted, exasperated.
The father-daughter duo just exchanged glances, not used to this sort of family interactions. After a beat, Jeremy spoke up. “How about we order, huh?”
Picking up his own menu, Danny’s face morphed itself in confusion. “Uh...I have literally no idea what to ask for. Sam, you’re the expert, what do you recommend?”
By his side, Jazz perked up. “That’s right! You’re vegan aren’t you?”
“Ultra-recyclo-vegetarian.” She corrected, although she wasn’t sure why; nobody ever really got the difference.
And, lo and behold, neither did Jazz. “Pardon?”
Sam was about to tell her to let it go, when Danny beat her to it. “Sam doesn’t just avoid eating anything with a face, she also eats everything on her plate.”
When he sent her a wink and a friendly smile, Sam almost puddled. She soon regained her senses, though. Alright, so it was touching that he retained that piece of information when most people tended to forget all about it, but that still wasn’t grounds to make a fool out of herself. Finally, she opted for pushing those feelings aside. “This is my first time here, too. But as the only experienced veggie-eater at the table, I’d suggest that if you’re not feeling up to experimenting with new things, then just stick to what you’d usually order from a regular Taco Bell.”
She lowered her menu for them to see as she pointed at certain meals. “For example, Danny, you could try ordering the Burrito Vegano. Judging by its ingredients, it's exactly the same as your usual burrito except for the lack of meat. So you shouldn’t miss much.
“If any of you feels more adventurous, then you could try the vegan Quesadillas, just keep in mind that rather than being exactly the same as the regular ones but with vegetables, instead of cheese they have humus.”
“What about snacks?” Jeremy asked, as enthralled in her explanation as their impromptu guests.
“Oh, I’m definitely ordering their famous nachos with guacamole and vegan nacho cheese. Everyone recommends it.”
“What’s vegan nacho cheese even made of?” Danny scrunched his face up in disgust. “Is it even edible?”
Sam scoffed. Typical carnivore response. “Not any less than the barely passable-for-human-consumption, acrylic orange paint that is the usual nacho cheese. And to answer your question, it’s made of carrots and peppers.”
“Wow.” Danny breathed, impressed once again by Sam’s ability to monologue without the need for breath. “You really have a strong opinion on nacho cheese.”
“Oh, you don’t even know half of the things she has a strong opinion on.” Jeremy muttered.
Before Sam could so much as protest at her dad’s familiar exasperation at her altruistic ways, a waiter, notepad and pen in hand, appeared behind her. “Have the ladies and gentlemen made their decision yet?”
Looking over the table and receiving nods in confirmation, the Manson patriarch took the lead. “I believe we have.”
“Excellent.” The waiter said. “What do you want to drink?”
“Well, I’d normally ask for a bottle of your best wine, but I’m driving tonight, so I’ll have a Mr. Pepper.”
“Of course, sir. And everyone else?”
“I’m driving too, so I’ll have a Lemon Nestea, please.” Jazz said.
It was Danny’s turn. “I’m not driving. I’ll have a beer.”
“We serve Coronita, is that alright with you, sir?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
Finally, he turned to Sam. “And you, Miss?”
“Another beer’s fine.”
The waiter wrote everything down. “Alright, so that’s a Mr. Pepper, a Lemon Nestea, and two beers; is that right?” At the sounds of agreement, he went on. “Alright. Have you decided on your food yet, or do you need more time?”
It was Sam’s turn to perk up. “We’ll have some nachos with guacamole and vegan cheese to share. I’ll have the Tofu Tacos; You make them yourself once they’re served, right?” The waiter nodded. “Then, yes. The tacos.” Then she pointed at her dad. “And my Dad’ll have the fajitas.”
As their waiter wrote everything down, she directed her attention at the siblings. “And you guys…?”
“Hm, I think I’ll have the vegan quesadillas.” Jazz said. “I gotta admit, when you said they have humus I’d already made up my mind! And you, Danny?”
Danny kept frantically scanning his menu. He didn’t know what half of those things were! All he knew was that it was Mexican food with extra vegetables. “Uh...I...I’ll have the Burrito Vegano?” He just hoped Sam was right and it’d be similar to the regular thing.
“An excellent choice.” The waiter commented before taking their menus away. “Your drinks and nachos will be out shortly.”
After the waiter left, they kept on chattering idly about everything and nothing. How Sam and Danny knew each other, why Jeremy had, completely out of the blue, decided to let them have dinner with them, what their parents’ did for a living… That’s when things got a little awkward. Although Mr. Manson was trying his hardest to remain neutralーSam’s constant glares served as a good incentiveーit was plain to see he didn’t think highly of their parents and their job.
Danny and Jazz would be lying if they said they weren’t already used to it, or even understood his concerns.
Just as their drinks were being served, Mr. Manson’s cell phone started ringing. He took a quick glance at the caller and immediately winced, which didn’t go unnoticed by his daughter. “Dad…? Is everything okay?”
“What? Oh! Oh, yes. Everything’s fine, kiddo. I just have to take this real quick.” He explained as he got up from his chair, about to make his way to a less crowded area of the restaurant. “I’ll be right back.”
“Is he okay?” Jazz asked, slightly concerned.
Sam could only shrug in response. “He says so.” Noticing the sudden rise in tension, she chose to change topics instead. “Um, I don’t really have any siblings to know better but, you two are close, right? I know my fair share of families who wouldn’t spend any non-essential time together otherwise.” Like mine, was what she didn’t say.
“You could say that.” Jazz replied, almost enigmatically.
Normally, Danny wouldn’t go into detail as to why he and Jazz were so closeーthree guesses why and the first two didn’t countーbut there was something about Sam that told him she would understand. Granted, he couldn’t tell her everything, let alone in the middle of a relatively crowded restaurant, but he could shed some light over her queries. He guessed he felt the need to be open and share things with her because the other day she opened up to him and Tucker.
“Well,” he started, “if I’m being honest, I’ve always been closer to my older sister than my parents…”
"How so?" Sam couldn't believe she had the nerve to ask him that when her own relationship with her parents was, most of the time, rocky, at best.
Did she really have to put him on the spot like that? “No, Danny,” he scolded himself, “you wanted to be honest with her yourself. Don’t blame it on her.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he tried to explain as best as he could while revealing as little as possible. “Uh... it's just...my parents are ghosthunters, as you know, so ghosts have always been present in my house, making things incredibly difficult for Jazz and me growing up.” Like eating savage, ecto-wieners for dinner, having every single personal problem compared to some ghost-hunting analogy, or being mortified and ostracised by his peers as a result. “And things...things only got even more complicated when I was a teenager.”
That was the part he couldn’t go in detail about. Mainly because what truly made things more complicated was the fact that all deep conversations, honesty, and family bonds were tattered the moment he became the very half-ghost whose dissection his parents often fantasized about. “As a result, I guess you could say Jazz and I ganged up together. The Fenton siblings against the world when our parents were too busy with their job.” When he felt Jazz’s warm hand on his cold one, he couldn't help but meet her concerned face with a small smile in thanks for everything she’d ever done for him.
A wave of sympathy washed over Sam at Danny and Jazz's predicament. It was easy to forget Amity Park didn't even know ghosts existed until seven years ago, when Phantom and his putrid kind appeared out of the blue, because witches never forgot their existence in the first place. She could understand being overlooked in favour of creatures of dubious existence must've caused them great pain growing up.
Noticing her heartbroken look, Danny immediately tried to lighten up the mood. “Don’t worry, though. We might not be as close to our parents as we were when we were little, but we still all love each other.”
“Yeah,” Jazz assured her, “no need to feel bad for us, Sam. It’s still nice to see a daughter being close to her dad like you two are.” Her words were meant to bring the hazel-eyed Goth comfort, but her brows knitted together in concern at the look on her face.
Albeit Sam was smiling, it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Lowering her head, almost hiding her face from view, she shook it, sadly.
After a minute or two of silence Danny was about to ask her if she was alright when she spoke. “Don’t let appearances fool you; my Dad and I aren’t exactly close, either.”
“But...but you two seem to get along so well…” Jazz started, but was cut off by Sam.
“We get along,” she confirmed, “but we’ve never been close. My parents are the complete opposite of me, and it showsーthey’ve never been able to understand me, my Grandma did.”
Danny almost regretted having to ask. “Is your Grandma…?”
The Goth just nodded. “She passed away when I was fourteen. She was the only person to ever understand me and accept me for who I am. You could say I’ve been on my own ever since, although in a psychological/spiritual sense.”
“Is that the reason why you’re Goth?” Jazz couldn’t hold herself back from asking, her psychologist instincts taking the reins of the situation. Shocked at her behaviour, Danny kicked her gently on her shin from under the table.
He ignored her glare in favour of distracting Sam from her question. “What about your mother, aren’t you two close?”
The harsh laugh she let out startled them both. “I might not be close to my Dad, but compared to my relationship with my mother, I’m practically a daddy’s girl.”
A shadow casted over her hazel eyes, other times so full of fire and mischief, and Danny didn’t like it one bit. Reaching over to grab her hand in his, making her gasp in surprise, he sent her a gentle smile. “Thank you for sharing that about yourself with us.”
She returned the smile. “Thank you for sharing that about your parents with me.”
They kept staring into each other’s eyes, not caring about anything around them, until the clatter of the nacho plate being set down on their table broke them out of their thoughts. While Danny chose to ignore her sister’s annoying smirk, Sam thanked the waiter. Then, she turned to the siblings. “Well? What are you waiting for? Dig in!”
They did as they were told, and their faces split in matching grins. Hmming in appreciation, the black-haired half-ghost dipped another tortilla chip into the vegan cheese. “This ain’t half bad!”
Sam just chuckled. “Told you.”
After a, surprisingly, rather pleasant dinner between the two different families, it was time to say goodbye. Since they were the ones driving them home, Jazz and Mr. Manson left first to look for their respective cars, leaving Danny and Sam some extra time to talk.
“Well, that was a pleasant surprise.” Danny commented, putting his hands inside his hoodie’s pocket.
“Yeah, it really was.” Sam smiled when, suddenly, a cold breeze whooshed by, making her shiver.
Noticing her hugging herself from the corner of his eyes, he immediately took action. “Here, let me help. It’s starting to get cold.” He said, even when his cryokinesis made him immune to cold years ago.
“Danny, I’m fineー” she began, but was interrupted by Danny slipping his hoodie on over her shoulders. As he lent her his jacket, their eyes locked. For a moment, time stopped. The Earth stopped moving. Nothing else mattered but each other’s eyes; Danny’s precious baby blue, and Sam’s vibrant hazel. Then, the sound of a not-so-distant honk broke the spell, causing them to quickly avert their eyes, a hint of pink dusting their cheeks.
Sam wasn’t cold anymore.
As Jazz opened the door for Danny, he waved her goodbye, which Sam returned. Now that she was alone with her thoughtsーand Danny’s hoodieーwaiting for her Dad to appear with his own car, she couldn’t stop herself from sniffing the garment. It smelled like wood and freshly rained soil, but there was something else. Something...familiar she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
Whatever it was, she liked it.
It smelled like Danny.
#Danny Phantom#DP#dp fanfic#your heart#my fic#danny fenton#sam manson#valerie gray#jazz fenton#jeremy manson#paulina sanchez#dp star#oc#ghost king! danny#ghost king au#witch queen! sam#witch queen au#enemies to friends to lovers
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Hi!! How about a one shot with first person narrative, with Jensen thinking about the video posted yesterday by Darius (jealousy?) And also the video posted by Misha (butterflies in the stomach!)? Write this story, please! 😁
Ohhh! Thanks for being so patient while waiting for this! I absolutely loved writing it. Though, as I told you, I did struggle a little because first person isn’t my strong suit, but I love a good challenge!
Hope you love it.
Because it is Cockles RPF, I put it under the break. :)
******
Title: Green with Jealousy (Read on AO3)
Cockles RPF
Words: 2174
I hadn’t meant to slam my phone down as hard as I did, and when Danneel looked up at me from across the room, one eyebrow raised, I gave a sheepish smile.
“Sorry.” My voice was low as I muttered, trying to keep my annoyance from my wife. But she knew me all too well.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her expression go soft as she put down the security monitor she had been using to keep an eye on Arrow and J.J. as they played in the twins’ room. Guilt consumed me as I watched her make her way over.
The last thing I wanted to do was let her know how stupid I was acting, but she knew me too long for me to be able to hide anything from her. That was why I didn’t even try anymore.
“What’s wrong, Jensen?” She wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my shoulder.
I grunted, not sure how to answer her. The truth was, I wasn’t even sure what exactly it was that was bothering me. There was no reason for it. It was just this feeling that I couldn’t put a name to, that slowly started to wrap itself tight in my chest.
Or, rather, a feeling I didn’t want to put a name to.
But when I didn’t say anything, Danni turned her head and softly kissed my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into her touch.
And fell for her trap.
I was distracted, only for a moment, but it was enough for her to reach out and swipe my phone from the countertop.
“Danni.” I hadn’t meant for it to come out in a low growl, but it just made her chuckle as she put in my pin and unlocked my phone.
And I was helpless to do anything other than hang my head, as I knew what she was
going to find.
It only took a few seconds before the sound of Misha’s voice hit me like a freight train. It immediately sent shivers down my spine as I recalled what it was like to have him next to me, whispering in my ear.
“Aw, love.” Her voice was so soft, I almost didn’t even hear her speak. But I felt the love she had for me as she wrapped her arm around me again and kissed the top of my head, as she continued to watch the video. “I know you miss him,” she continued, trying to tame the beast she knew I could be whenever I was reminded how I was missing the other piece of my heart, “but you’ll see him soon.”
I nod, not trusting my voice as I ran a hand over my bearded cheek.
Shit. She thinks this is just because I miss him. Not that I don’t. Because of fucking course I miss him. He should be here, enjoying the snowy Colorado weather, curled up on the couch while the fire is going.
Even with three kids, the place felt too empty without Misha, Vicki, and the kids. We were supposed to be enjoying ourselves before I left for Toronto in a few weeks to film for The Boys. But, of course, something happened that canceled those plans.
Not that I could blame Misha that his doctor scheduled his hip replacement surgery the week before they were supposed to come to Colorado. It just meant that I was going to have to head out to California instead. Sure, it sucked that we couldn’t get the entire family together like we planned, and we would only get a weekend together, but I knew I should be grateful for whatever time I was able to spend with Misha.
Even if it was while he was hopped up on pain killers and wasn’t allowed to do any strenuous activities.
I bite back a grin as thoughts and schemes of what we could get away with began to trickle in my head.
But then I pick up the sound of Darius’ voice from the video Danni is still playing and I let out a scowl. It isn’t that I don’t like Darius, it’s just that I can’t help worry about how much Misha likes Darius.
Danni clears her throat and I cast a glance over to her, only to see her quirk an eyebrow at me.
I can’t even muster a guilty grin because I didn’t want to think about the jealousy that consumed me every time I thought about Misha and Darius together.
Even if they haven’t been together in almost twenty years.
But I did feel guily, and embarrassed at having been caught. It was something I needed to work on, and I knew that. This whole jealousy thing.
Misha hated it. He felt like it meant I didn’t trust him, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I just hated the thought of him wanting to kiss or be with someone else, even if it was just a joke and not real.
More than once it caused an issue at a convention. Most of our former cast mates knew about our relationship, and were understanding that there were boundaries. But I still felt like an asshole sometimes when I let it consume me.
But Darius was different. He knew Misha - not to mention he knew Misha. He was the first person he’d been with, ever. So of course the fact they were still close was going to stir up some unwanted emotions in me, despite the fact that I had never been prone to jealousy before I had me Misha.
But his relationship with Darius wasn’t something I could compete with.
Not that it was a competition.
With a sigh, I grabbed Danni and drew her close.
As I buried my face in her neck and inhales the sweet scent of freshly cut flowers, I felt myself finally begin to relax.
A few hours later, as I was getting ready to give Zepp a bath, I felt the familiar warmth of Danneel’s hand on the back of my neck. I leaned back into her touch and moved my head to kiss her palm as I flashed her a smile.
“Hey, baby. I thought you were still finishing up with Arrow? Is she almost ready for bathtime?”
“Almost. But that’s not why I’m in here.”
The wicked grin she was giving me churned my insides. “Oh, yeah?” I asked as I wiggled my brow at her.
She let out a giggle and held my phone out to me.
“Mama! Mama! Watch.” Zepp pulled Danni’s attention away from me for a moment and she gave him a soft smile.
“Hold on a second, baby. I’m going to take over for Daddy, so you can show Mama whateer you want, in just a minute, okay?”
I let out a sigh, as I love watching the way Danni is with the kids. It makes me melt every time I remember they’re mine, and that I’m lucky enough to be theirs.
But then I realize what she said and give her a questioning look.
“Why are you doing bath time tonight? It’s my turn.” I love having these little moments with the kids, things I missed a lot of while I had been filming Supernatural.
Not that I would trade any of that for anything.
But I was lucky enough to be able to have both. To have it all.
Though I could admit I liked living this quiet life in the mountains with just the wife, boyfriend, and our kids all trying to bring the house down around us.
I knew I wasn’t SuperDad, like Dee was SuperMom, but I wasn’t that bad that she’d need to come in and take over bathing the kids from me.
But she just gave me a wink as she motioned again for me to take my phone from her.
Confused, I grabbed the towel and dried off my hands before taking the phone from her.
“Why don’t you go into the bedroom and see what I have pulled up, while I take over here, cowboy?”
My heart skipped a beat as I nodded and leaned in to give Zepplin a kiss before I placed a quick kiss on Dee’s cheek and made a beeline for the bedroom.
When I had the door closed, I leaned against it for a moment and closed my eyes. I had no idea what to expect, but the anticipation was killing me.
And I didn’t want to lose that high, so I clutched it tight against my chest for a moment. But I knew I had precious little time to myself before one of the girls realized I was set free from daddy duty, and set out to find me.
Unsure of what I was going to find when I opened my phone, I reached back and slid the lock on the door into place. She hadn’t given me any warnings that it wasn’t child-friendly, but I didn’t want to take the risk.
I opened my eyes and walked over to the bed and sat down.
As I let out a breath, I steeled myself as I brought the phone up and swiped up to allow it open.
There was a video on my screen, waiting for me to press play.
When i did, music began to play and I could see a woman kneading some dough. I sat there for a few moments, wondering what it was I was watching, or why Danni felt like I needed to see it at that moment.
But within a few seconds, I saw the camera move up and reveal Liz, Misha’s sister. I knew she could sing and had heard her, Misha, and their dad sing on more than one occasion, but I had been caught so off guard, I hadn’t been able to place her voice at first.
Then another voice hit my ears and tears immediately stung my eyes.
It was a voice I would know anywhere.
There was my Mish, leaning against the kitchen counter with his sister, singing to the dough they had been making, like a bunch of goofs.
My heart stuttered and I felt butterflies in my stomach as I watched him belt out the song. It made me miss him even more, and wish the weekend would hurry up and come already so I could get back to Los Angeles and see him, Vicki, and the kids.
As he squeaked out a high note, I let out a strangled laugh and wiped the tears from my cheeks.
I played the video again, and saw the beginnings, where Dee had fast forwarded so I didn’t know what I was watching, and let out a snort at how only they would spend all day making something, even after several failed attempts when he could have just gone to the bakery a couple of miles away and gotten his pastries within a half hour.
But that was why I loved him.
He liked making things with his own hands.
If he didn’t have some part in building or shaping something, it didn’t feel as real to him. It was why he built his own house, and even most of the furniture - although, throughout the years, Vicki had managed to replace about a third of it.
But even me. Misha shaped who I had become. He built up my confidence and chipped away at the self-doubt I had. Made me believe in who I was and that I was worthy of everything I had, of everything I wanted.
Mish was the one who made me believe I deserved it.
I looked up as I heard the lock click, and smiled as Danni walked through the door.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I whispered.
“Hi.” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed.
When she pulled back, she reached out and wiped the tears that stained my cheeks.
A sob threatened to break free from my chest, but I held it tight. I didn’t want her to see how much I was hurting. To see how much I missed Misha.
But she never missed a thing.
“Call him,” she whispered as she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my lips.
I shook my head. “Naw. It can wait.” I put my head down, but she hooked her finger under my chin and brought my face back up and stared into my eyes.
I swore that woman could see my soul, and it made me shiver.
“I know it can. But you don’t have to suffer for me, Jensen. Call your man, and tell him you love him. That you miss him. There’s no reason to deny yourself that.”
She cast me a knowing smile as she got up to leave the room again.
I gave her a grin as I thought about the sound of Misha singing in that video, and the butterflies returned as I picked my phone back up to dial his number.
*******
Taglist: @dolphindiluna @astral-from-the-pit-of-despair @kristina710
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So, I think I just had the best dream of my life, on my birthday no less.
Not sure when it had started, I'm pretty sure it was created due to the crack fics I've reading, but I'll give the basic rundown of what I think is going on.
It's centuries into the future of Danny Phantom. Nearly all of the cast we all know and love have turned into ghost and have long passed onto the next life.
Clockwork still stands guard over all of time, though for some reason now has a bunch small troll like assistants that were, less than competent. Not sure where the assistants came from, most likely from the Observers.
Of course, the assistants endlessly annoyed him. At least he has some help that he could trust.
It seems that the entire Fenton family, Vlad, Sam, Tucker, and even Dan, have become rather powerful ghosts. To the point that the Observers decided that they must serve Clockwork to keep them from going out of hand.
Some important notes on the group:
- They were all wearing cowboy/western clothes, for some reason I can't remember.
- Danny seems to have been split into two people upon his full death. One was looked like his Phantom form and was named "Portal", while the one named "Danny" looked like the human form.
- Vlad's human and ghost halves seems to have fully mixed together, thus resulting what the dream said "A True Halfa".
Fast forward a bit, it seems that the group now live in Clockwork's Tower with their own rooms. I didn't see each room, though I did see Vlad, Danny, Portal and Dan's room. They seem to be sleeping in either a really big and soft bed, or in very comfy hammocks. Either way, Dan has a tendency to invaded everyone elses space, causing a lot of irritation from his roommates.
However the sleeping couldn't continue when Clockwork decided to summon all of his actual helpers/assistants for another mission. It seems that some sort of mechanised being was destroying some timelines, mostly it was small ones that didn't cause much concern, until the mecha had managed to destroy a major timeline, prompting the Observers to make Clockwork send in the group to handle it.
Though, they didn't seem all too worried about a potentially life-threatening mission like they would've back in the past. Instead they treated it like some sort of game, to the point that Jazz even excused herself from the mission for an event she's supposed to attend.
Another note:
- The entire group seems to be rather famous in both the Ghost Zone and the Human Realms. More so in the Ghost Zone, for they seem to have movie posters and appeared in ads.
Not sure what transpired, since I was starting to wake up. But I do remember that upon the climax of the event Jazz is, the walls had been broken down, revealing the mechanised being she was supposed to fight with her family. Thinking that they were defeated, Jazz readied a final stand, until the rest of the group jump from behind, thus showing that they had indeed defeated it and merely wheeled it in her event to surprise Jazz.
Clockwork watches as Jazz gets annoyed by her family, while they merely laugh fondly. But things aren't right just yet, for one of the assistants grab a hold of his cloak, tugging it insistently to lead Clockwork to show the statistics of the timelines.
And widened his eyes in horror, for everything is now "fixed".
Then the dream, unfortunately ends.
#danny phantom#dp#crack#danny fenton#vlad masters#dan phantom#sam manson#tucker foley#maddie fenton#jack fenton#jazz fenton#Dani wasn't in the dream for some reason but I may include her if I ever have this dream again#dream journal#vivid dreams
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