#doing a month of Vlad was definitely the right move though | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kawaiijohn · 1 year

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Danny tries to pawn the Ghost King position off on his classmates.

Idk what I was doing, and then suddenly it turned into wes/danny I'm so fucking sorry?

T rating I embarrassed myself fucking writing this bc it came out of nowhere girl (gn) HELP

"Hey Dash how about instead of you focusing on your homework you just start beating me up, just like old times! I sure miss being slammed into a locker."

Dash looks at Fenton, confused before scoffing.

"Even though I normally love wailing on you, Fenturd, coach needs me on my best behavior. State's next week and I'm one loser swirlie away from being suspended."

"I won't scream or anything, I promise! Whaddya say? You get to beat the snot out of me and I won't even complain! I'll even thank you for it." Danny responds, looking around nervously. "But I'm in a bit of a rush, so can you make it quick and do it, say, before six tonight?"

Danny gives the other boy the saddest, most punchable puppy dog eyes he possibly can.

Dash rolls his eyes seeing Fenton ham it up. The loser only does this for his birthday, so it's really weird having him request it four months in advance. Dash decides to ignore the request, only gently pushing the dweeb out of his way. "Beat it, Fentertainment Tonite- I know you don't have a life, but I do."

Danny curses as Dash disappears down the halls.

"I know you want to punch me. You wanna do it so bad." Danny eggs on another of the jocks- Travis, he thinks. "Remember that time I said you punch like my Grandma?"

His grandma taught both his mom and aunt how to fight, but Travis doesn't need to know that.

"Beat it, jackwipe!" Travis shoves Danny out of the way and continues down the hall.

"The one time I need to be shoved into a locker or punched, none of the jocks want to even look at me." Danny bemoans.

He's already struck out with Dash and Kwan- both of which need to stay as non violent as possible with administration lurking around this close to their big game. Paulina pretended he didn't exist, and Star laughed in his face. Something about 'she already kicked his ass months ago'. Which was true, but he was certain he's done something since then worth beating him up for.

"I can't ask Sam or Tuck, it's gotta be someone I hate." Danny pauses with a shudder. "But definitely not Vlad- he already has an ego the size of the Milky Way..."

Danny hears the bell ring and wipes his sweaty palms on his pants.

He has until six tonight to get his ass beat. He can do that, right?

---

Danny is downright panicked now.

Detention really put a damper on his plans. Being stuck in a sweltering classroom with Lancer and Wes only made him more nervous. It really didn't help that Lancer needed helping hands for some after school thing.

Danny only has one option, and he's glad it's one of his 'enemies'.

"Heyyyyyy Wes, what's happening tonight?" Danny slings his arm around the tall boy's shoulder, pulling him down to pipsqueak height. "Wasn't that round of detention just fun?"

Wes nearly growls and shoves Danny off of him. "Fenton! You're the reason I was even there in the first place! If it wasn't for you and your stupid ghost bullshit I would have gotten to class on time!"

"Yeah?" Danny asks, being as annoyingly positive as he possibly can. "Well it's good that there was two of us, or else Lancer wouldn't have let either of us out until well after six!"

Danny looks at the clock nervously- five fifty.

He has ten minutes.

"I don't find moving entire stacks of chairs halfway across the school fun, or even a fair punishment for being late twice in a week. So what if the crafting club has their expo tonight? They should be the ones moving furniture." Wes tries to overtake Danny in the hall but he can't outwalk the other boy.

"But we got to spend all day with each other! Isn't that just swell?" Danny pukes in his mouth a little. He's got a goalpost to reach in less than ten minutes, and my the Ancients he's gonna do it.

"Spending time with a chronic liar and freak of nature isn't really what I consider fun, Fenton."

"Yeah, but we really bonded, don't you think? Had some quality one-on-one without you being a creep outside my house."

Wes's face reddens. "HEY! That was one time, and I don't want to have the cops chase me again. Or your parents, who are worse somehow."

"See, we're bonding here!" Danny jogs alongside Wes, making sure to keep pace at just the right level of obnoxious. But we should really bond sometime in the next... eight minutes."

"God there it is again! What? Do you have important Phantom shit to do at six or something?" Wes rubs his temples. "You're being freakier than normal today and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it."

"There's nothing to get to the bottom of, I just have something to do later. Not Phantom or ghost related- something completely normal and human, yep."

"God you piss me the fuck off, Fenton." Wes crosses his arms and blocks the doorway out of the school. "And one of these days, I'm gonna get you to confess, and then it'll be all over."

"Yeah, that's nice and all, but like, wouldn't it just be so satisfying to, I dunno, take out all that pent up frustration on me?" Danny grins devilishly at the other boy. "Come on, I have such a punchable face! Aaaaand since you say I'm a ghost or whatever it won't actually hurt me, right?"

Danny gets right up into Wes's personal space and looks up at him with a shit-eating grin.

"Back off, Fenton." Wes backs himself against the lockers. He looks anywhere but Danny's face. "Personal space is a concept even stupid ghosts understand."

"Yeah, but if I'm a stupid ghost doesn't that make you wanna prove it? Can't you prove it by beating me up? You have a camera..." Danny reaches for the camera slung around Wes's shoulder and points it at his own face. "It'd be soooo easy."

Wes's face is currently doing its best impression of a tomato as he continues to ignore Danny.

"Please? I'm gonna start begging you to beat my ass soon if you don't acknowledge me, Wes."

"Back. Off. Fenton." Wes stares Danny right in the face. "Last chance."

Danny does the opposite and yanks Wes to stare him in the eyes. "You wanna punch me so bad it makes you look stupid, Weston." Danny chuckles and makes his eyes flash green. "Your face is sooooo red with rage- you wanna kick my ass, admit it!"

Danny barely gets a warning before Wes lunges and tackles him to the ground with a kiss.

Both boys gasp in surprise and Wes backs himself against the lockers with a loud bang.

They sit in silence, staring at each other in disbelief before Danny laughs.

"Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Sh-shut up! It's not my fault you're kind of..."

"Wait, have you been staring at me this whole time because you're crushing on me?" Danny laughs in disbelief as Wes turns even brighter red. "Is that how you 'accidentally' discovered my secret?"

"No!" Wes sputters out. "I don't sta-"

"Stalk me, yeah. Dude you follow me around with a camera to try and expose me. What sort of fruitloop shit are you pulling??"

"Well, if you weren't lying about being a human, then I wouldn't need to-"

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Danny doesn't know how to feel about it, really. Wes is kind of cute, and he's unhinged just like the rest of his friends. But he's also obsessed with exposing him, and kind of stalks him (to no success).

He spends a few moments before he glances at the clock again.

Two minutes left.

He can use this to his advantage, even if it's dirty and underhanded.

"Hey Wes. You really fucking suck at kissing." He eggs the other boy on. "Like, zero technique, all desperation!"

"Shut up!"

Wes starts crying a little. Danny only feels a little bad, but he really needs this to happen.

"What, even I've kissed people before and I'm a loser! Plus I bet you can't even man up and fight me like I want- you're such a little cuck boy, Weston! Always relying on other people to do the dirty work of beating my ass so you can gather your evidence like a little bitch in the dark."

"I said shut up!" Wes's face is bright red again- an angry embarrassment with tears streaming down his face.

But he still has to keep going, even if it feels gross to do this to someone who he kind of likes.

"Make me, Wesley." He spits.

---

It's a dirty brawl but it ends with a very red-faced Wes pinning a bruised and elated Danny to the ground. The latter feels awful about playing dirty with Wes's feelings, but it seems the other boy really needed to take out his rage on him.

"Sooooo, you admit you have complete victory in this fight, right Wes?" Danny smiles up from underneath the other boy.

Wes sputters, his face still bright red and tears running down his cheeks. "You're such a fucking little shit, Fenton."

"Thanks, I try!. But I need you to accept that I'm saying you have total victory in this fight."

Wes sighs and lets go of Danny's wrists and sits back against the lockers. "Yeah, sure. I beat your ass fair and square. Also do you know how weird it is to see you healing this fast? I swear I gave you a black eye."

"You did. I'm just a fast healer." Danny sits up and looks around. He feels... guilty. At least for only finding one person to do this to.

The clock strikes six.

"Also, I'm sorry I lied- you're not a bad kisser. I just needed you to beat my ass. Also sorry about what's about to happen." Danny rubs the back of his neck.

"Sorry about wha-" Wes is interrupted by a portal opening beside the two of them.

"Sorry for being impolite, we should assume." An Observant materializes out of the void beside him. "It's not polite for the crown prince to wait until the last minute to find a replacement, but since you have... bested Prince Phantom in combat, albeit not formal combat, the rules are the rules."

Wes glares at Danny who is doing his best trying to disappear without going ghost.

"Prince Phantom??" Wes spits at the other boy.

"Yep! Former Prince Phantom." Danny smirks. "And again, sorry, but they only gave me today until six to find a replacement. The whole King schtick isn't really my jam."

Wes stares at the other boy as more Observants spill from the hole in reality and bow to him.

"Fenton..."

"Hey! I'm not gonna bail on you or anything. You still need an advisor- I just really don't wanna deal with the formality shit. Hope you understand!"

Danny gives Wes a peace sign as he's escorted through the portal, pissed off, confused, and shell-shocked.

#danny phantom #phanfic #danny x wes #answered #currentlylurking #wes weston #danny fenton #idk what this even was #but yeah take it #unidentified flying ship #UFS #dantes vibe corner #my fic

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dumbbitchenergy17 · 1 year

Text

Mimic Chapter 36

Work Studies are around the corner and by teaming up with the Number One you could only begin to think about what will happen.

Words- 4421

Izuku Midoriya x Reader

Warnings: Fluff and cute shit at the beginning, injuries/violence, battles

Christmas break had arrived in U.A. and while the students celebrated the holiday the teachers were together in a conference room.

“So, what’s going on here?” Midnight asks looking through the packet of papers given to each teacher.

“Are we restarting the work studies, just like that?” Cementoss questions and their principal all nestled into Aizawa’s scarf responds,

“The agreements we had with all those agencies were made to see how things went. But this time, the public safety commission itself has requested that every hero source student participates in what they’re calling practical field testing.”

“A request?! Are they demanding that our kids head into the field?!” Vlad King says confused but appalled to have all students even first years be involved again was absurd.

“Sounds as if they’re worried about lack of personnel, even though our society’s already saturated with heroes.” Midnight says.

“With the goal of training the students to counteract the villain organizations that have sprouted and grown as of late… Something definitely happened because of Deika City.” Ectoplasm points out.

“It’s a fair bet the League’s involved. Why don’t these folks just come out and say it?” Snipe says.

“I suspect the commission has snigged out some great danger that lies ahead. This document is ambiguous by design, to keep anyone from knowing the truth, so just as Kayama says this work-study request sounds like a message.” Nezu says

“Especially since they can’t just come out and say they’re mobilizing our kids for war. That’d be too jarring.” Aizawa says looking at his coworkers. He didn’t want to think of the possibility of his students fighting in a fight they weren’t prepared for, a fight that could kill them.

“This is unprecedented…” Cementoss murmurs.

“Whatever the case, preparing for danger is a hero’s job. We need to contact the most accomplished heroes out there,” Nezu says and concludes the meeting, “Consider that your winter break homework, and be sure to inform your students once we’re done here…”

Now alone in his office Nezu speaks to All Might and Tsukauchi, “They’ve been in the dormitories for four months now…and we’ve seen no suspicious behavior from anyone.”

“In other words, none of the students are spying for the League of Villains,” Tsukauchi says.

“The next time the League makes a move, assuming we find no connection, then…” Nezu starts.

“The kids in U.A.’s hero course…all have heroic hearts.” All Might defends his students. He knows none of them would ever do anything, they all wanted to be heroes.

“Yes, I know.” Nezu says, “Are you coming back to school today?” He directs his attention to the former Number One Hero.

All Might shakes his head, “We’re too busy, I’m afraid. Unless…Did something happen to Midoriya and Shimura?!”

Nezu laughs shaking his mouse head, “Oh dear. Have you forgotten what day in December it is?”

The Christmas party was in full swing the whole class dressed up minus Bakugo but Mina and Kaminari were trying to get at least a Santa hat on his head. You sat beside Midoriya with Iida on your side completely decked in Santa gear even the beard. You rested your head on his shoulder and he switches hands holding his glass to grab yours rubbing his thumb in a calming motion. The talk of work studies had been brought up and it had been a thought on your mind.

“What are your plans Midoriya? Are you going back to Nighteye’s Agency?” Iida asks looking over at the boy.

“Didn’t Centipeder take over the operation?! You haven’t seen him in a while, right?!” Kirishima says and Midoriya shakes his head.

“I was thinking the same thing, but they been too busy with the new change and Gran Torino can’t take me either, so I’m kind of in limbo,” Midoriya says and Kirishima frowns.

“That sucks! Hey L/n! What about you gonna go back to Fat Gum?” Kirishima says and you sit up slightly looking over at the redhead.

“I’m not too sure while I love Fat Gum I’ve had other offers that had me contemplating.” You say. You did have plenty of offers from heroes when the sports festival happened but you had received a letter in regards to the work-study but it was from someone you hadn’t expected.

‘You have potential with your quirk. Consider coming to my agency. -Endeavor’ Well it wasn’t really a full letter but it was handwritten, signed, and everything! You didn’t tell your classmates or anything that you received a personal letter from the Number One Hero but you did need an opinion from someone who would remain biased on the opinion.

“You’re a dumbass,” Shinso says laying halfway off your bed and looking at you upside down as you lie on the floor the letter resting on your chest.

“I am not! This is a big thing…it’s Mr. Number One after all.” You huff and throw the paper to the side covering your face with your hands groaning. “I just…is this the right decision?” You peek through your fingers seeing Shinso scrolling through his phone before looking over at you.

“Like I said a dumbass,” You go to open your mouth but he continues talking, “You have the Number One Hero asking you personally may I remind you to study at his agency.”

“But Fat Gum and my classmates-” “Forgot about them all for a second. This is about your future right?” He says and you reluctantly nod, “Then you should go to the place that is going to help your future the most, not that there’s anything wrong with where you’re at but are you gonna ignore this opportunity in front of you.” He finishes and it’s quiet and the dumb look on his face when he knows he’s right irks you.

“I hate how you’re right.” “It’s one of my many skills.”

You look over at the letter seeing the application that was attached hesitating before grabbing a pen and filling it out. “Hurry up, Aizawa Sensei wants us for training.” Shinso kicks your leg and you kick it back filling it out.

“HEY! THIS IS S’POSED TO BE A HOLY NIGHT!! WHY’RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS SCHOOL STUFF?!” Mineta yells pulling you from your thoughts as he slams his hands against the table.

“C’mon guys Mineta has a point. Especially since it’s time to feast!” Sato says revealing a delicious roast bird. The sound of the door opens as you all were about to feast in,

“We’re a little late…I hope they didn’t start already.”

“Tricky…Treat..?” Eri dressed in the most adorable Santa dress mumbles looking back at Aizawa for guidance who shakes his head, “Not quite...Wrong holiday.”

“IT’S ERI CLAUS!”

Aizawa and Eri quickly joined in the festivities as music was played by Jiro and food were quickly devoured all delicious and filling. You take a sip of your drink a smile resting on your face as Midoriya rambles to Eri who eats up every word. You take in the glint in his eyes and the wide grin as he waves his hands about talking to the young girl. From food to music to the gift swap from your classmates it was a perfect night together.

The night soon started to wrap the night getting to all of you and cleaning up beginning. You look down at the small girl cuddled up to your side her eyes fluttering shut as she tries to stay awake but her falling asleep had made you grow tired as well. Running your fingers through her hair pushing the strands away from her face as she drifted to sleep. Aizawa had come over seeing the child asleep in your lap kneeling down to bring her into his arms. She shuffles a bit in his grasp her eyes slowly opening and waving at you as Aizawa carries her out of the dorms back to the comforts of her bed. You smile before a yawn takes over your body stretching your arms it hits something and you look up to see Midoriya standing above you.

“Hey…” You mumble sleepily and he smiles holding his hand out and you take it as he pulls you to your feet.

“Come on looks like you need sleep too.” He says and you roll your eyes slightly pushing him away but he wraps his hand around your waist holding you close as the two of you head towards your room. Opening your door you throw yourself onto your bed sleep quickly pulling you but Midoriya manhandles you around so you're sitting up even though you groan in protest.

“Nope, you gotta change you don’t wanna sleep in that.” He says holding out a t-shirt and shorts and you groan more looking up at the ceiling. His hands move to pluck the hat off your head before his fingers move to the buttons on your dress you give him a look and he rolls his eyes.

“Such a dirty mind.” He mumbles and you gasp offended and he laughs before pulling the dress over your head and throwing the shirt on after. His touch was gentle and smooth, as his fingers traced over your skin. Some scars from injuries cover you but he doesn’t seem to mind as he helps you change. It wasn’t the first time he’s seen you like this anyway. He finishes looking up at you not realizing you’ve been staring at him his face grows a twinge warm. You smile pushing the hair away from his face leaning down and pressing a kiss to his forehead. He closes his eyes relishing in the feeling and you pull away holding his face in your hands, he opens his eyes grinning at you before thrusting forward and connecting your lips. You squeal as he pushes you back onto the bed as your guys' night is not over yet.

In light of the dormitory system, it was tricky for your classmates to go home, but they were accompanied by Pro Hero escorts and allowed to visit their families for the New Year. You however stayed at the dorms despite Midoriya’s begging for you to come with him. “Y/n please..my mom would love having you over she’s already dying to know more about you,” Midoriya says as the two of you lay in your bed, it was the night before he would return to his home.

“I’ll be alright, spend time with your mother Izuku. Even I did promise Eri I would spend her first New Year with her and I think Aizawa would appreciate having someone watching her as well.” You say and he pouts but nods and you press a peck to his lips.

“Such a baby.” You tease and he gives you a look quickly pulling you under him and a very heated session makeout ensued with Midoriya. You actually had a lot of fun with Eri listening to music, watching the other New Year’s events on TV, and counting down when the ball drops. The two of you crashed on the couches in Aizawa’s residence and he threw blankets over the two of you before joining you on the couch doing some school work before even he fell asleep with you.

The next day you had your bag packed and Aizawa and Eri brought you to the station and you were off to your work-study.

“Welcome. I’m Endeavor.” The flame hero announces to the three males a grin on his face before it quickly drops, “Is that the warm reception you were hoping for? I ain’t thrilled about taking you two on. This is only cuz Shoto asked! I was hoping it’d just be me and him!” He says and Todoroki rolls his eyes.

“You already accepted them, so stop complaining.” “Sh-Shoto!!”

“Ever since our training course, I’ve been thinking…” Bakugo says eyeing the hero, “You’re a jerk.”

“Are you really friends with this kid, Shoto?!” Endeavor scolds his son who looks annoyed being here.

“Whatever. I’ll put up with anything if it means seeing how the top dude operates.” Bakugo shrugs and Endeavor yells at his son, “I toldja to choose your friends wisely!!”

“Thank you for accepting us,” Midoriya says and Endeavor turns to look at the boy, the two had a unique experience during the Sports Festival and he had a feeling this boy had some connection to his rival, the man who always succeeded over him. All Might.

“We’re still waiting for one more.” Endeavor says and the boys even Todoroki look confused, who else would be joining them on their work-study? Maybe it is a sidekick to Endeavor or a fellow Pro-Hero.

“Sorry, I’m late gosh the holiday crowds are no joke.” A familiar voice calls out behind them and the three boys look back seeing a girl dressed in a U.A. uniform but a hat and scarf cover most of her features. As she gets closer her eyes widen seeing the three boys but her eyes were focused on one.

“Izuku?!” She calls out and the boy’s face grows red having some girl call him by his first name. The girl pulls down her scarf taking off her hat revealing snow-white hair and a recognizable face.

“Y/n!?” Midoriya says and the two of you look at each other shocked. The conversation of work-study hadn’t come up between the two of you about where you each were going. So for Midoriya, he thought you returned to Fat Gum’s Agency and you thought Midoriya founded some Agency that was friends with All Might. A flash of movement in front of you and Endeavor hops over the railing and charges forward flames taking over his clothes and burning them off revealing his hero costume.

“Sorry, but I don’t give a crap about anyone but Shoto. YOU WANNA LEARN? STAND BACK AND WATCH!” He yells looking back and seeing the four of you quickly following after him.

“TELL US WHAT WE CAN DO!” Midoriya yells.

“I told you to stand back!! And watch!” He yells and like a bullet of flames disappears ahead of you all.

“He told us to stand back and watch, but…” Todoroki says using his ice to glide along the ground.

“To watch we have to keep up!” Midoriya yells. He was off and running before you even heard the sonic boom. That takes more than just speed. Using All For One in a similar way as Midoriya uses One For All Full Cowling to boost yourself forward.

“When were you going to tell me you were going to Endeavor’s Agency!” Midoriya yells out to you as you all turn the same street after Endeavor seeing the glass from the buildings and cars missing.

“Uh now isn’t really the time! Same with you it’s not like you told me!” You yell back, “Quickly this way!” You yell pointing down a different path than where Endeavor had turned down. Both Midoriya and Bakugo turn down one way heading down while you and Todoroki take the other way to make sure no one tries escaping. From your side of the alley, you see Endeavor shot out with the villain right as three more were going to ambush him, Todoroki quickly sends out a sheet of ice freezing two of them to the ground, and right before Midoriya and Bakugo could attack them feathers swoop in attaching to the thugs and you see Hawks looking at the two boys who recover from their failed attacks.

“Oh! Trainees! My bad. Looks like I was a little faster.” He says as the three thugs land at you and Todoroki’s feet, “Seemed like you were in trouble, Endeavor.” Hawks grins landing beside the two of you.

“Me? Not a chance.” Endeavor glares at the winged hero as he restraints the main villain.

“But it seemed that way, didn’t it, Shoto?” Hawks says looking at the boy who just looks a bit stunned to see him.

“You’re supposed to contact me when you’re in town.” Endeavor says and Hawks shrugs,

“I’m not…I mean, I was just passing by.”

You all moved from the alleyway to an open area where the police cuffed the main villain whose name was Starservant who was yelling nonsense as he was put away.

“Hello. My name is Midoriya!” Midoriya introduces himself and you could see the slight awe in his eye beginning in the presence of the Number Two Hero.

“You’re the kid who smashes up his own fingers, right?” Hawks says and Midoriya sheepishly nods, “Tokoyami filled me in. Man, I wished I could’ve worked with that kid again.”

“But isn’t Tokoyami back at your Agency…?” Midoriya asks and Hawks sighs rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah, down in my hometown with my sidekicks. But I’ve got too much going on to be there. I feel kinda bad…about it.” He trails off seeing Bakugo glaring at him.

“Back there-I was faster!” Hawks smirks, “Huh! You think so?” His gaze moves from the blonde landing on you, “Good seeing you again Shimura. Things treating you well?” He says and your gaze shifts slightly seeing Todoroki’s eyes widen by a fraction and you look back at Hawks. Crap.

“Yeah…thank you again Hawks.” You say and you can see the slight pity within his eyes before they move to Endeavor.

“Well, Hawks…what do you want?!” Endeavor says.

“Want? Oh, nothing, really. But have you read this book, Endeavor?” Hawks says before pulling a book from his pocket and you feel a chill run down your spine reading the title.

‘Meta Liberation War.’

“THE METAHUMAN LIBERATION ARMY IS REBORN!!”

“We are the Paranormal Liberation Front.”

There was no way these two weren’t connected…did that mean Hawks was a part of them. Was he a traitor?

“Imagine it, Endeavor..” Hawks’ voice brings you out of your thoughts, “A world where we’ve got time to kill!” His face was stern as he holds the book out to him, “Read it. Please.”

“That’s recommended reading from the Number Two Hero! Maybe I should check it out. Perhaps it holds the secret to his trademark speed…” Midoriya mumbles and Hawks stiffens before turning to face you all holding books in his hands,

“Here, I’ve got copies for everyone!” “He’s so prepared! Where’d those come from?!”

“That’s right, it’s the era of the Number two!” Hawks says giving the four of you each a book, “When it comes to speed, it’s all about reading which way the wind's blowing! I’m recommending it to all my friends and heroes across the country. Because if nothing else, that liberation ideology will be pretty darn fundamental going forward.” Hawks says stepping back and unfurling his wings before he looks at Endeavor.

“At least give the highlighted sections a glance. That’s my second recommendation in so many words. All five of you..good luck with the work-study.” Hey says before flying off the five of you looking after him.

“He’s only 22, but he comes off as much wiser…” Midoriya says.

“Just six years older than us…” Todoroki mumbles.

Bakugo scoffs looking away from where Hawks stood, “Ticks me off.”

Your fingers trace the title of the book a horrible feeling in your gut. What did Hawks have to do with the Liberation Army? Was he involved with the League…Ten-Shigaraki?

“L/n..?” Todoroki calls out and you look up from the book.

“Yeah, Todoroki?” You say a small smile on your face.

“Why did Hawks call you Shimura?” He asks and you’re silent you can feel both Bakugo’s and Midoriya’s eyes on you as your mind runs with a thousand things to say. Fuck what do you say?

“Uh…Shimura…well it’s my second last name. It’s hyphenated but I don’t go by that name anymore.” You stutter out your answer. Please believe it. Please believe it. You yell out internally waiting for his response. Todoroki seems to take it in before nodding. You give a forced smile and Endeavor calls you all to follow, as soon as Todoroki is not looking you let out the biggest sigh of relief.

“WELCOME TO ENDEAVOR’S AGENCY! WE’RE THE FLAMING SIDEKICKERS!” The sidekicks of Endeavor call out.

“This is the first work-study for Bakugo and Shoto, right?” One of Endeavor’s main sidekicks Burnin says, “You four will get right down to business doing what we do around here! But as you can see, with over 30 sidekicks, we ain’t exactly short-staffed! What I’m saying is, you won’t get a chance to shine!” She says with a huge smoke on her face looking specifically at Bakugo who smirks back but you could see the bloodlust in his eyes.

“Fun. So we gotta try to beat the Pros at their own game?” “Bingo!”

“That goes for you too, Shoto! Don’t assume anything just cuz you’re the boss’s kid!” One of the sidekicks calls out, “You kids’ve gotta sink your teeth into this job!”

“This place is so busy!” Midoriya says in awe looking around at the heroes all rushing around off to patrol, calling people in, or doing paperwork.

“Most of the time, we’re either on patrol or on standby! But we also handle over 100 requests every day. From emergencies to escort missions to special events!” Kido explains.

“Great. Let’s get to freaking work then.” Bakugo says cracking his knuckles, “I’ve been pretty ticked off ever since that spoonbill stole my glory.” Did he mean Hawks?

“You’ve got moxie, guy. But we gotta wait for Endeavor’s orders!” Kido says pointing toward the large door.

“He’s sitting on his ass? What happened to those 100 requests!” Bakugo shouts.

“Kacchan, please just calm down!” Midoriya tries reasoning with him.

“HAHA! You’d better cool that head of yours, kid!” Burnin laughs. Your gaze pulls away from the group as they yell about wanting to work staring at the door. He had the book from the Liberation Army about what did Hawks have to do with them? If the Number Two Hero was part of them who knew who else could be there what other heroes were amongst that crowd cheering along to Shigaraki’s words?

“Shoto. Deku. Shimura. Bakugo.” The door opens and Endeavor strides out a dark look covering his feature, he knows something… “You four with me.”

You four were brought to a locker room with the male sidekicks leading the boys to one side and Burnin to another.

“Thank you, Burnin.” You nod and she grins.

“Us female heroes we look out for each other. But I can tell you’re already different from other UA students I’ve seen.” She says and you don’t get to respond as she leaves you to yourself. Moving to your case you open it and pause seeing a new outfit resting inside and you begin to dress. Your boots were similar no laces but straps going around with a zipper on the side keeping everything secure, there was a leather bodysuit keeping your pants and shirt attached a paneling design towards the top. The final pieces were the coat and gloves you were given. Slipping on the fingerless gloves before pulling the coat on. The coat was thin on your skin but felt durable enough to protect you and also keep you safe in the winter condition and summer, maybe a temperature regulator in the fabric. The design of it has panels all around it with it holding together by straps right below your chest and one across your neck. Its angular design with it begin all black created a sharp shape but was still flattering. Looking in the mirror you pause seeing yourself in the eerieness of the outfit from the moment in the bathroom. It was the exact same one you saw then just with the dust and blood covering it. Was this the moment, the fight you were to experience?

Looking back at the case you see a letter resting on the ground. You bend down to grab the card reading the writing.

‘Young Shimura…please accept this upgrade of your uniform. I am always still here. -Toshinori’

“Gift…as if that forgives all that he’s done to you?” His sickening voice fills the room and you see him standing in the reflection.

“As if the things you do were better, you worse than him.” You spit out crumbling out the letter and tossing it aside turning to leave.

“The actions I committed allowed you to become so powerful. You should be thanking me.” All For One says and you spin around staring into the reflection.

“Thanking you? You kidnapped me as a child, tortured me, forced your quirk on me, and made me commit so many crimes that no child should ever have to deal with and you want me to thank you.” You say and you can see in the reflection he grins.

“You should be grateful, you are more powerful than half of those heroes in the world, you could level buildings with a flick of your finger. You were my greatest achievement and soon Tomura will join you.” He grins and you feel a shiver run down your spine.

“What did you do to him?” You say you knew you shouldn’t be concerned about him. He made his decision he wants to purge the world and start it in whatever twisted vision is his.

The mirror warps slightly and you cringe feeling All For One’s cold hand resting on your shoulder as he stands within the reflection and beside you. “Here is just a glimpse of what Tomura is dealing with.”

Pain, unlike anything you’ve experienced rushing through you as Shigaraki’s screams fill your ears and you lose your hearing everything muffled. It was as if someone fired a gun right beside your head. Your veins and nerves explode before healing in an instant the feeling your body was flipped inside out before reverting back to its original state. You seize slamming into one of the lockers with a loud bang crashing to the ground. Gasping for air as your skin thrums with indescribable pain trying to stop this ongoing misery before it disappears and the phantom feeling causes you to shake.

“Tomura is fighting to accept it, but just like you did he will join you. And then….you two will be unstoppable.” All For One says his hand pets your hair and you flinch at the touch still shaking uncontrollably. The weight on your head disappears as you quiver in the empty locker room trying to regain your strength.

Shigaraki was gaining All For One.

#mimic series #mha x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #izuku x reader #midoriya x reader #bakugo katuski #bnha eijiro kirishima #shoto todoroki #shota aizawa #tomura shigaraki #mha spoilers #mha

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mashiraostail · 3 years

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Hiiii, i was wondering if i could request some vlad king and gang orca taking care of their s/o pets. Like if the reader was out of town and asked them to take care of their dogs👉👈 i feel like vlad is such a good doggy dad that the dogs play together and i feel like gang orca would be lost but doing his best and if he was taking care of a cat i like to think it would love being around him because cats love fish and he would just always have his s/o cat cuddling on his lap. Im sorry for ranting lol i love your work you're doing great💕

awwehehe this is so cute since you mentioned dogs for vlad and cats for kugo that's what i went with! also indulged myself and included kugo/ jiro/shoji content bc that seems like such a GOOD FUNNY AND WHOLESOME trio and i wanted more content than we got smh

Sekijiro Kan/Vlad King: "Hey Sek, I need a huge favor.” You look up from your phone at the taller man who is currently scrunched into the corner of his couch scrutinizing a piece of paper with really terrible handwriting on it. “Sounds dangerous.” He replies without looking up and you snort dropping to the cushion beside him. “Only a little, but I think you’re good for it.” “Alright then, so what’s the favor?” His eyes flick up to you. “I need to go visit a friend out of town.” You sigh, “she had a baby last month, I used to work with her husband and she asked if I wanted to spend some time back home with her for her birthday next week, I should be about five days.” You rest your hands on his knees, “so while I’m out there..would you mind watching Kilo for me? I hate to leave him behind but It’d be a pain to travel so far with him I know he hates trains.” “That’s a huge favor?” He raises an eyebrow at you, “sure I can watch him. I bet they’ll get along fine.” He glances at his own dog curled up under a chair. “But only If you can figure out what the hell Monoma tried to write here.” For all intents and purposes, Kilo was a good dog, a little stupid, but a good dog nonetheless. To be honest, he’s really honored you trust him with the task, you’re the only person he’s met that seems to love your own dog as much as he loves his. Plus it also meant that Kilo had to like him a fair bit which was also a relief, as a dog owner he knew any potential partner was only as compatible with him as they were with his dog, and his dog loved you, he was sure you felt the same way, any partner that Kilo didn’t get along with would be impossible for you to get along with, he found it more than a little reassuring that Kilo seemed to enjoy his company. Past all that, and maybe even most important this was a perfect opportunity to introduce the two dogs. He was sure it was no secret to you but this wasn’t exactly a casual fling, with the way things were going it felt pretty inevitable that he’d ask if you wanted to move in together; but if the two didn’t get along well then..that’d be an issue. Though he was sure if things got tested out now you’d have some time to at least try to get the dogs to be comfortable with each other or hopefully think of some sort of workaround. In his eyes, this was a blessing for him as much as it was a favor to you. “Are you sure you don’t mind keeping Kilo at your place?” Sekijiro is slightly embarrassed to say how early he arrived at this park, he wanted to tire his own dog out before introducing the pair, he’d advised you to do the same so you were walking to the park, you'd called him on your way. “Of course I don’t mind babe.” He tosses a ball from his seat on the bench and watches his pudgy bulldog trot over to it, “it’ll be easier this way, right?” “Yeah that’s true, I just don’t want Kilo wrecking any of your stuff, he always means well but he gets into trouble sometimes-” “Don’t worry about it, he’ll be a model student by the time you get back.” He hears you laugh into the receiver at that. “I don’t doubt that, I’m almost there, I’ll see you in a few okay?” “Yeah sure thing, can’t wait.” You huff out another laugh at him before hanging up. “Sekijiro!” You chirp brightly at the sight of the man, he’s too busy taking you in to respond. Kilo’s trotting a foot or so in front of you on his leash, that old joke about dogs looking reminiscent of their owners was certainly true in your case, you both looked delighted to see him and beyond that, you were practically glowing... Maybe he just had a thing for people who were good with animals. “Hey Sek?” You lean down in front of him. “Hey! He welcomes Kilo between his knees, the mixed breed was a bit larger than his dog who was currently bounding back to him with a ball and sufficient slobber hanging from his mouth, the size difference in mind though Kilo was a hell of a lot less bulky, he was practically streamlined, Sekijiro had seen how fast the dog could run with his own eyes. He could see why you took so much pride in the dog, he was definitely beautiful his coat was long, wavy, and shiny and he had big blue eyes and admittedly the cutest pink nose and spotted tongue Sekijiro had ever seen. “Thanks so much again for doing this I really-” An excited bark pulls your attention downwards, “look who it is!” You sing, crouching down to pet the panting dog, “you sure look tired. Sekijiro is working you too hard.” You frown at him as he hops up to rest his front paws on your thighs. “Don’t be ridiculous.” Sekijiro laughs, “but he is worn out, I guess Kilo is too though.” Kilo’s head is on his knee, the larger dog is panting too. They seem to notice each other, and approach with a lazy curiosity. They sniff around each other for a bit but after that return to their respective activities, seemingly unbothered by each other and the proximity of the other dog to their owner. Kilo didn’t mind your cooing at Vlad’s dog who didn’t seem to mind Kilo’s head in his owner's lap. With that little bit of reassurance, you hand him Kilo’s leash and a bag of his stuff; food dish, some toys and treats and the like, and then you part ways after promising to call him when you get to your home town safely. All in all the coming days are pretty uneventful, Kilo joins them on their daily walks, eats at the same time with no trouble, finds a comfortable place to sleep each night. “Is Kilo alright?” Your voice is nervous in the receiver. “He’s better than babe, seriously they’re getting along great.” “God that’s such a relief.” You sigh, “the pictures you’ve sent are cute..gosh I miss him.” You pout a little. “Gee I miss you too babe.” He mutters it with a playful edge to his voice and you gasp, “I was going to say I miss you too but forget it!” “don’t be mean!” He complains back, “I was kidding! And anyway I miss you. How’s it been out there?” You go off on your usual tangents before ending up back at square one. “Oh! I called you for a reason actually!” You remember, “I’ll be a little bit late getting back on Sunday, one of the trains is going to be down so I’m taking a later one, I should be back around midnight now would you mind-” “Of course not babe, I’ll get you from the station so-” “No no! It’s okay you’ve already done so much that’s not what I was going to ask! I just wanted to be sure you wouldn’t mind keeping Kilo around for the extra time...I can get a taxi, seriously don’t wait up for me!” “Well just come to my place when you get back right?” “I wouldn’t wanna wake you up-” “It’s been way too long since I saw you last, so I don’t mind, if you won’t let me pick you up from the station at least come right here.” “You’re convincing.” You laugh a little, embarrassment heating up your face, “I guess that’s fine with me then...” A distant sounding voice pulls you away from the receiver, “Sek I have to go, I’ll call you again soon though!” “Don’t worry about anything babe.” He reassures you as you hang up. There is one minor spat over a rope toy but it’s resolved easily enough and the pair seem to get on swimmingly after that, even sharing a couch cushion and occasionally resting their heads on each other, they become incredibly fast friends, which is probably the biggest relief on the planet to Sekijiro. Watching the two of them play tug of war in his living room or witnessing their schemes to get leftovers off the counter on Thursday night essentially cement his vision of a future with you. If you were being totally honest it was embarrassing how attractive you found Sekijiro getting along with your dog to be, you’d never got the obsession of handsome guys holding cute babies but seeing some of the photos he’d sent to you over the almost 6 days you were gone made butterflies crop up in your stomach the likes of which you’d only felt when he was actively trying to fluster you...but this seemed totally unintentional. To say you were incredibly eager to go home and see him (jump his bones) felt like an understatement. It’s past midnight when you get back and the place is mostly dark, you see a vaguely bulldog shaped blob partially under a blanket on the couch, but the snoring it emits gives away it’s identity easily. You leave your bag at the door and venture into the apartment, poking your nose into the bedroom. Of course, Sekijiro is there, dead asleep on his back, and who’s with him but Kilo, his head resting on the blood hero’s chest one of his hands resting on top of it. “Oh Vlad-” You coo, you practically sing it at him. “Wha-whatsitwhat-” He rubs his face as he picks his head up, “oh, hey welcome back ‘s good to see you, missed you-” “You’re so sweet-” You’re already at the side of his bed, leaning down and kissing him. “What’s-” Sekijiro takes a minute to process everything before he realizes it’s Kilo’s head on his chest making you act like this. “Oh no way, he’s been a total angel-” “I’m so glad he likes you so much-” You murmur it between kisses, to his lips and various other spots on his cheeks and jaw, “you guys are adorable together.” “I’m glad you think so-” He cuts himself off with a yawn and turns into your lips, kissing you again before speaking, “you weren’t kidding about that late train huh? It’s almost 1 AM, you must be exhausted, there’s plenty of room for you in here so come on.”

Kugo Sakamata/Gang Orca: “Hey, Kugo...” You approach him from behind and wrap your arms around his shoulders, leaning against the back of the chair he’s sat in. “Yes?” One hand comes up to cover your forearm the other stays dutifully at work. “You love me, right?” You rest your head against his and he pricks up at the inquisition. “Of course I do, why would you ask a question like that? Is something wrong?” The way his hand subtly squeezes your arm isn’t lost on you. “Hmm..no nothing's wrong.” You lean into him and close your eyes as he sighs good-naturedly. “Then what? Did you just want to hear me say it?” He leans back into you, “I guess I could entertain that...” His thumb swipes a long stroke over the skin of your forearm, “I love you, dear.” He can feel you prickle up at that behind him. “I love you too Kugo.” You squeeze him tighter and he huffs out a quiet laugh. “I’m glad to hear it. Now is that all you needed?” He puts his pen down to bring his other hand up to your arms, “I’m a bit busy. You’re welcome to stay there if you like though I just need to finish some paperwork and make a few phone calls. After that, we can do whatever you like for the night.” “Well, now that you mention it there was just one more thing. I’ll be fast I promise.” Your hand slides underneath his lapel and into his jacket. “Don’t worry I can make a bit of time for you then, what’s the matter?” You make eye contact with him through his darkened computer screen. “My boss invited me to this big conference next week, it’s a pretty great opportunity and I could meet some important people..” You explain, biting your lip, “it could be really good for me to branch out even she thinks so, and getting some more experience will be great, and it’s pretty close to my hometown so I figured I'd stop in and see some old friends after I got done..It’d be about 5 or so days and I’d really like to go.” You sigh and he seems more than a little confused based on his reflection. “That does sound like a great opportunity for you, you’re right..what’s the problem then? Do you need advice about something?” His confusion doesn’t quell even as you kiss his temple. “I probably will later but for now the problem is Luna.” “Your cat?” Kugo piques, “why is she a problem?” You sigh, “if I’m not around no one will be there to feed her and make sure she stays out of trouble.” “Oh is that it? That’s no problem at all dear, I can look after her for you. Is that what you were going to ask me?” “You don’t mind?” You perk up, “I don’t want to trouble you...and I know I could just as easily leave a key under my mat and have a neighbor do it but I trust you so much more and-” “It’s no trouble, really.” Kugo laughs a little, "I pass by your apartment all the time on patrols, I’m sure the interns won't mind if I make a stop and head up to check on her every now and again.” “Oh! You can totally bring them up if they like cats!” He laughs at that too. “Was that all?” “Mhm.” You nod and use the motion to nestle into him a bit, “Thank you Kugo.” ”It’s really my pleasure. Leave it to me, alright?” All things considered, Kugo’s also pretty honored to be trusted with the task of watching your pet cat, he knows how much you love and worry about her, you dote on her all the time, and if the copious amount of photos you send him of her say anything she’s definitely your pride and joy. For the most part, you spent the bulk of your time with Kugo at his own home, due largely to the fact that he was larger than average and he existed a fair bit more comfortably there, but he paid you visits in your apartment from time to time and had met the cat, she seemed to like him plenty which was a relief as well. You stop at Kugo’s before you leave and give him a list of things to double-check when he stops in, though you reassure him that there shouldn’t be any problems, Luna was pretty independent and mellow she didn’t like going outside so he didn’t have to worry about her escaping or anything like that. He tries to stop in at least 3 times a day, before, during, and after patrols, he knows that’s probably overkill, you spend all day at work and have never had an issue but he hates the idea of something happening to the feline on his watch. Plus even if he wouldn’t readily admit it he saw this as a perfect time to get on the cat's good side, you said she already loved him but he wasn’t convinced. He knew how much you loved her and any vision of your future that he had always featured the mellow feline so in his mind it was imperative they got on well. On top of that, he was glad you trusted him with something as small and delicate as Luna, she fits pretty comfortably in his hand and was as fragile as she was petit, but you never seemed off-put by the idea of him holding her or petting her, in fact, you encouraged it. The way you even wanted him near her when you weren’t around to supervise put him at ease about his strength and size, he always worried about breaking delicate things, but that wasn’t a worry you seemed to echo. “Is something going on in that building?” Shoji looks up at your complex as he pauses by it, “you’re stopping here a lot since yesterday.” “Huh? Oh. Actually no... well nothing of importance to you. I’m...catsitting.” Jiro holds her breath the hold in the laugh, “Catsitting?” “Yes...my partner is away at a work conference, the cat in question is theirs.” Kugo nods, “if you like cats you can come up and meet her, she’s actually quite friendly.” Kugo was pretty used to Luna at this juncture, but whenever other people met her it was easy to see why you were so proud of her, she was quite the stunning cat, a long dark grey and black coat with big green eyes and a swishing tail, her paws were colored as if she was wearing boots. “Wow...she’s really pretty, I’ve never seen a cat like this.” Jiro was crouched on the ground, stroking her neck. “I was surprised too.” Kugo confesses, “they found her in a box on the side of the road about a year before we met. She was only a kitten then. Her name’s Luna.” She seemed to like the pair equally alternating between them, rubbing against their legs and shuffling her head into their palms. “She is very friendly.” Shoji remarks as she purrs at him, attempting to climb into his lap. “She’s good at getting into trouble, but she usually means well. You can stay with her for a minute.” He sets off to double-check the usual; food, water, litterbox, the loose window that she’s always wiggling open despite having no desire to climb out of it, he waters a few plants and straightens up anything she knocked over as well. When he returns she's overturned on Shoji’s lap. “You’re getting along well.” He swipes a pillow she’d knocked over up and replaces it on the couch. “She’s really sweet!” Jiro is scratching her stomach. “I’m glad to hear it.” “Hey..sorry if this is too personal or whatever but I didn’t know you were.. dating someone... We didn’t snoop or anything though!” She swears, holding both hands up, the cat looks disgruntled at the loss of attention. “It’s alright I trust you.” Kugo waves her off, “Luna looks too comfortable anyways, you’ve clearly been petting her this whole time.” He adds with a small chuckle. At the sound of her name, she rolls over and winds around his feet, circling through his ankles and pawing at his pants until he lifts her up. “To answer you though yes I am seeing someone.” He holds Luna with one hand, his ring and middle finger scratching the patch of grey fur on her chest. “Are they a hero too?” She wonders, straightening up. “No...no they’re not, I’m not very public about this sort of thing.” Shoji contemplates that, “they have a nice apartment.” “That is true, it’s a good job, and they do have a pretty keen eye for decorating” He agrees, looking around amicably. “Have you guys been together for a long time?” Jiro blurts out before feeling color float up to her cheeks, “sorry I don’t mean to be rude... I just never pictured you like this I guess I’m curious-” “It’s okay, most people don’t, and yes, we’ve been together a while now.” Kugo raises a hand to calm her, “but like I said before I’m not very public about things like this which is why you wouldn’t have heard..though either way, even when we do go out together... most people don’t assume I do that sort of thing, and to be frank, we aren’t the most...visually compatible pair..” He says that with a distinct fondness in his voice and then continues, “like you said, you don’t really picture me in this sort of light, most people don’t so hero gossip tabloids tend to leave me alone for the most part, I get a fair bit of freedom when it comes to this sort of thing because of that. There are probably plenty of photos of us together out there, though people usually assume they’re my manager or a secretary or just a friend.” Luna is purring loudly in his hand, her body largely slack against his chest. He walks her over to the couch and sets her down, which she warbles angrily at, “to be honest though I prefer it this way. I’m a private person.” “That makes sense...well, their cat sure likes you.” Shoji points and Kugo chuckles. “I’m fond of her myself.” Kugo admits, “everything is as it should be here so we can head out again, sorry for the tangent.” He scratches Luna’s neck and sighs, “as for you I’ll be back tonight. So try to behave until then, for my sake alright?” Jiro tries not to laugh at the sight. “I didn’t think you’d actually bring them up! Did they like her?” You sound delighted about it over the phone that night. “I may have knocked a few intimidation points off of myself, but yes they thought she was cute.” He was sitting with her, contemplating staying the night here. He was embarrassed to say it but this was the longest you’d spent apart in a while and despite any appearances, he had gone soft and was starting to miss you, being around your stuff was nice even if he didn’t fit too well in your bed. “I don’t think you’re very intimidating at all.” You peep back thoughtlessly. “Well, I’d sure hope not.” He chuckles and leans against the couch, “she’s been good too I was,..expecting her to break more.” Truthfully Kugo wasn’t sure what he was expecting, he never had pets growing up and hero work didn’t give much free time to consider one, it took a day to get comfortable with her, and even now he was watching his every step for her. “I’m glad to hear that!” You laugh, “she’s a pretty great cat isn't she?” “I have to agree..” Kugo wouldn’t mind having her around all the time, the longer he sat on your couch and contemplated it the more he realized he wouldn't mind having the both of you around all the time. Was this some sort of emotional sign to ask you to stay with him? He’d give that more thought at a later date. “Kugo are you listening?” “Of course I am.” He was not. You don’t seem perturbed though, chuckling and then sighing fondly, “I’m gonna go shower then call it a night, I miss you two though.” Kugo looks down at the cat on his lap and he nods, “we miss you too. I’ll be up for a bit longer so call or text me if you need anything.” “You shouldn’t stay up so late Kugo it’s bad for you-” “I know, I know, I’ll turn over a new leaf when you get back.” “Sure you will.” You snort, “I love you Kugo.” “I love you too, I’ll see you soon.” You wanted to see Kugo first thing when you got back but you were so exhausted that you can’t help sulking to your own place, things had gone well enough but all the commotion and travel really drained you. You were sure it wasn’t anything spending some time or even a night with Kugo couldn’t fix though. When you shoulder your door open though there’s Kugo, sitting on your couch. “Kugo, you’re here?” He’s holding some papers in one hand, the other is holding Luna’s back, keeping her against his chest. “I was just checking in on her but every time I tried to leave she started..making a weird noise.” “Weird like how?” You chuckle, suddenly feeling much better. “Sort of like screaming. But cat-like. I sat down and she clawed her way up here, then fell asleep and almost fell off, but I caught her and she hasn’t moved since.” “And... how long ago was that?” “What time is it?” “Half-past 6.” “2 hours ago. I didn’t want to wake her.” “Kugo.” You laugh and sit beside him, “you’re so sweet.” You wrap both of your arms around one of his and lean into his shoulder, “I missed you so much.” “I missed you too.” Kugo sets the papers down on the pile by the arm of the couch, “It's sort of embarrassing but I even stayed here a few nights because of it. I can’t remember the last time I went even 2 days without seeing you.” He appreciates the way you seem to melt into him at that. “That’s not embarrassing it’s sweet, you’re so cute Kugo...” You lean up and kiss him, “such a big softie aren’t you?” A soft hum is his reply as you pull away, “was she any trouble? Be honest.” “I was worried at first that I’d screw it up somehow but it went fine.” He confesses as he lifts the cat off his chest and she’s sleepy and limp in his big hand, purring contentedly. “She was acting up the 2nd day but I think she was just confused about not seeing you. Then she got used to me and was alright.” “That’s cute..” You yawn and clamber onto his lap, “god all that traveling tired me out...you’ve been stuck here for 2 hours but I might have to trap you a little longer to take a catnap of my own. I think Luna’s onto something...” You nestle into his shoulder, grateful to feel his arms come around you. “Don’t worry about me.” He hums as Luna curls up in the sliver of space between your bodies, “I just want to finish reading over some things. Then I'll bring you both to bed.” “You’ll stay tonight?” You yawn again and he hums, you can tell he’s smiling even though you can’t see him. “Would you like me to?” You nod into his shoulder, “yeah, I would...” “Alright then I will. Now go to sleep, you need it.”

#kugo sakamata x reader #gang orca x reader #vlad king x reader #kan sekijiro x reader #bnha x reader #bnha requests

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incorrect-ikevamp-quotes · 3 years

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Hi again! I come to you today with a question that may simply be a continuity error, but I'm still interested in your thoughts! In the main story, le Comte *knows* it was MC that came through the door behind him. Yet in Comte's "One Night, Beneath the Crescent Moon" POV story, he said he "...had no idea of what would happen next... That she would end up using the same door and end up stuck on the other side." What's your take on it? Thanks in advance! 💛

Hiya! First off I wanna apologize for how long it took to reply oTL I had originally drafted a response and then lost it when I accidentally closed the tab, and whenever that happens I always have to like sufficiently mourn the words I lost 😂😂😂

But to answer your question! If I’m entirely honest, I can’t remember what it was Comte said exactly in the Main Story in regards to her entering the door. There could be a lot of explanations for him saying he “knew”: continuity error, him wanting to put her at ease by seeming “in control” of the situation (while he’s screaming internally), or maybe even him wanting to cast some doubt as to whether or not he’s a person that can be trusted (aka the whole like “MC nooooooo don’t trust me I’m a vampire very bad very scary run away” kind of like Leonardo).

All that being said, given the evidence we have and the stories I’ve read from his POV--esp that Crescent Moon one you referenced--I’m most inclined to believe that he had no idea she would follow him that day at the Louvre. If anything I really don’t think he ever anticipated any human person could follow him through the door? Because remember Sebastian (and the suitors for that matter) only manage because Comte is their escort. Sure their will to live on was strong enough that he could hear them, but they had no capacity to approach or find a door on their own as far as we currently know. The door was closed when MC found it; this suggests that Comte fully closed off that avenue to make sure nobody wayward stepped in by accident. He did the responsible thing and he left long before he could ascertain her safe journey through time, but she still managed to make it across somehow.

That’s why I think MC’s mere existence is earth-shattering to Comte. I mean we have all the good basics: a lovely lady, sweet and hard-working, means well and does her best. And these attributes all do matter, for sure. But the door is perhaps a greater catalyst in their romance than we might have first anticipated.

There will be some semi-hefty JPN rt spoilers below the cut for Dazai and Comte, so I’m just going to keep it under wraps just in case there are people who want to remained 100% unspoiled:

TW: Mentions of suicide in Dazai’s rt

The reason I say this is twofold, based on information provided by Dazai and Comte’s Main Story route. In Dazai’s route, remember that the focal point of the story is that Dazai wants to go back in time to kill himself as a baby so that he can never grow up to write his books or cause anyone pain in the near future--essentially, suicidal ideation to a frightening extreme. One of the main reasons that he fails (though MC plays a significant role in stopping him, too) is that Dazai’s will to kill himself is too weak. In simpler terms, this means that--no matter how much he insisted he wanted to die, the truth of his heart was revealed in his constant hesitating and difficulty going through with it. This is very often a reaction from people who need sizable psychological assistance to overcome trauma; they don’t usually want to die, it’s more that the pain of surviving their experiences is outweighing any possible joy they can find in living.

But back to the most important part in bold. When Dazai asks about being able to use the door to travel through time, Charles confirms that it’s possible to travel without a pureblood escort. HOWEVER. This type of travel is very, very difficult unless you have an intense sense of willpower. I imagine the implication here is that you have to have an overwhelming desire and firmly believe it’s where you want to be in order for the travel attempt to succeed at all. (I don’t think the tethering point necessarily matters, but there is a suggestion that strong bonds between people--whether platonic or romantic--can serve as powerful guideposts when the door is distorted.) In other words, the reason Dazai relies on Charles’ moral bankruptcy is because Dazai knows he doesn’t feel strongly enough to go through with the suicide. He needs someone else who has the sheer determination and unbending will to see it through when the door opens.

This is why Dazai is forced to ask Charles to accompany him, even though Charles doesn’t necessarily want to kill him. For Charles, this is less about a desperation to kill Dazai and more about his intense obsession-love for MC, and his willingness to do anything to receive her love/attention in return. In Charles’ view, since MC is ostensibly in love with Dazai, removing Dazai from the picture permanently is ideal. While Charles’ judgement is clouded and a little horrific, he is nonetheless rock steady in comparison to Dazai’s nonstop wavering. Dazai knows that he’s fickle on a personal level; one moment he wants to die, another he’s too afraid to let go of what he does care about or upset anyone. He’s at a point where he doesn’t know what’s right or true anymore and he’s floundering, which is honestly fairly common among those who share his lamentable condition. (Most people don’t have a death wish--it’s more a combination of circumstantial problems and healing that has remained in stasis that constitutes the extremity of that behavior.)

Moving right along, Comte’s route also features a similar testament to willpower, believe it or not. This happens in the last few chapters of the main story. Basically, Shakespeare dumps MC on Vlad’s doorstep and she’s more or less suffering the latter’s monologuing for a good while. Not long after that Comte appears and nearly shoots Vlad in the head, the bullet just grazing his cheek. Comte demands that he let MC go, and Vlad--in a classic sadistic act of compliance--wrenches open the door and just tosses MC into the freefall of distorted spacetime.

Now this is dangerous to MC’s life in and of itself, but there’s a key element there: distorted spacetime. In this main story the door never returns to its normal state after that first month period. Rather, the expanse of the door is too dangerous to be traveled even by a pureblood, let alone a human being. The chances MC will ever be able to escape in order to survive are closer to zero than any other number. Remember that Comte is immortal. If he gets stuck on his own, he can’t die and the damage to his body is always more than able to heal when he’s back to safety. (He even warns Leonardo in Leo’s MS that the danger of getting stuck in some kind of pocket in spacetime is still too significant to be ignored, though I can’t be sure if that’s due to Leonardo’s inexperience with time travel/requirement for an escort, or just an inevitable risk you juggle anytime you travel through the door.)

Of course Comte leaps in after her to try to save her, but presumably their entry point is long gone now (Vlad shut the door), so they’re just kind of floating in amorphous time. They do and don’t exist. Comte is understandably distraught because MC’s life hangs in the balance; if they don’t find a way out, she is almost certainly going to die. Comte admits that--while he hates the fact that his very existence is a danger to her, he still doesn’t regret finding her by any extension. MC protests, naturally, that there’s nothing to regret. Circumstances be what they may, she loves him.

Now, here is the key. While Comte is trying to think of a way out, MC is thinking hard about wanting to return to the mansion. Her mind reflects an acute, intense desire to return home to the place where they both belong. And wouldn’t you know it? They both suddenly tumble out of the door in the mansion and onto the carpeted floor, whole and alive, sputtering in disbelief. Comte is baffled at first but it can only give way to immense relief that she’s safe, and he just immediately breaks down.

The only reason the two make it out unscathed is because of--I can only assume--MC’s overwhelming will to live on with Comte and return to the mansion. While it would have been natural for her to be overcome by fear to the point where she could make no productive decision, or even humor the concept of focusing on their home, she does it all the same with immediate success. That’s also part of why I think Comte just 100% caves into both of their feelings in the next chapter. He saw firsthand that, not only does MC keep a level head under duress, but she also has the overpowering will necessary to survive amongst vampires. And it was perhaps this unshakeable will in the first place that landed her in the late 19th century all those weeks ago.

It’s interesting because, honestly? Her entry through the door is more or less a hinge point for their romance. While it obviously isn’t the only reason he cares about her, it definitely is one of the bigger reasons he even feels safe enough to court her in earnest in the aftermath. It is literally only after this event that he confesses everything. Why he created the mansion and the men. How he’s really felt about her and himself all this time. What Vlad showed her and the implications of Vlad’s existence. And finally the truth about what he wants. He wants a relationship with her, but he keeps being held back by the fear that he’s too much. That the demand of being by his side will outweigh any happiness she might find choosing him. (Granted MC and I find that preposterous given how attentive and considerate he is, but you know). But after seeing her pull off surviving Vlad and traveling through the door by her own willpower again? I think it sufficiently lessens his doubts as to whether she could handle a future with him. It gives him the courage to just ask her: Do you want a future with me? Can you handle the demands of a vampire that cannot accept a mere human lifetime to be in love?

And so this is why I have unceasing Comte brainworms ladies and gentlethem. I need to go lie down before I start crying again, I love him oTL

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literatelogan · 4 years

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I NEVER SAID FRIENDS

part twenty-eight - alone at last

part twenty-eight bonus: nsfw of their first time. assigned male route. assigned female route. both have gender neutral pronouns.

masterlist | previous - next

updates every mon, wed, fri @ noon CST

pairing - shota aizawa x gn!reader

genre - fluff, angst, humor

summary - it’s your first year teaching at u.a. high school and you would be lying to say you weren’t intimidated. school is months away from starting but principal nezu has taken it upon himself to set you up for success. all of the teachers will be helping you onboard but shouta aizawa has been assigned to be your mentor. he hates this but does he hate you? yes. will he stop hating you? maybe.

tws - you still might cry. but it’s pure fluff.

a/n - 1.1k ahhhhh holy crap! okay yeah this is the rest of the first day together. i will be doing the smut separately and it will be posted sometime this weekend. also i am here for the friendships of y/n with ecto, vlad and cementoss.

The first day felt like each moment was in slow motion. The meetings were intense and required so much concentration that it was a bit hard to make it through. Toshi was great about that though. He was an amazing mentor even when in person. Being the newest staff member before you definitely helped that. There were a few times that you felt like more than just a couple pairs of eyes were on you. Being the newbie was always stressful but some of those looks were very questioning. Not mean. Just confused. During one of the breaks, you actually made it your goal to spend time getting to know your other coworkers. While spending the entire day with Shouta would have been wonderful, your job did come first, and only socializing with him wasn’t healthy. Ecto had so many questions. He wanted to know the play by play. When you showed him, Vlad, and Cementoss the pictures of all the presents, they were shocked. Snipe loved poking fun at Shouta. He kept jabbing him in the side. “Someone’s a softie. What happened to the asshole we all knew and tolerated?” You couldn’t help but laugh. Sho gave you an annoyed glare at that but you didn’t care. “He even uses memes now. All the time! Oh! Do you want to see pictures of him smiling? I have a ton. He’s not great at it but he’s cute so it’s okay.” Shouta had moved behind you now, wrapping his arms around your shoulders making you think he was about to hug you before he snatched your phone out of your hand. “Hey!” He shook his head. “You’ve lost phone privileges. You’re lucky I’m not giving you detention.” That promptly earned a “Kinky!” from Nemmy. Shouta was blushing now and that only made it worse.

At lunch, the two of you ventured away from the others to an empty classroom. Alone. For an hour. And not allowed to have sex. The Shouta you knew and…god. The one you knew and loved was back once the other teachers weren’t around. Laughing at your dumb jokes and staring at you with that look in his eyes as you rattled on about your plan for your classroom. Once you were done actually eating, it was a bit more difficult to follow Nezu’s rules. You still had twenty minutes before you had to be back. Just a couple little kisses as you moved closer to each other, head leaned against each other. “You’re not a bad kisser.” He pulled back a little and gave you an inquisitive look. “Not bad? That’s not a great compliment, darling.” He pulled you in for another kiss but this one was more heated. Your lips parted as his tongue pressed against them. Your mouths fit so well together. They were made to join. You pulled apart and rested your foreheads together. “I want to do so many things to you, darling. It is taking all of my composure. Do we really need this job? What if we just leave and spend two weeks quarantining with each other?” You gave him a little bop on the head. “You’re thinking with your downstairs brain and it’s not as intelligent as your upstairs one.” He grumbled but immediately relaxed as your hand started to run through his hair again.

He pulled away from your face and moved to lay down in your lap. As promised, you ran your fingers through his hair and played with it. It was surprisingly soft. He could do with a better comb though. Untangling pieces as you went and rubbing little circles onto his scalp until your fingers tingled a little. The timer on your phone went off to let you know that you only had about five minutes to get back to the meeting room. “Darling, we need to go back.” No response. “Sho, seriously. I don’t want to either but we need to.” The only response was a soft snore and you couldn’t help the chuckle. He was conked out. Waking him was painful. He looked so peaceful. But you knew that you needed to go or everyone else would be even more suspicious than they probably were. You would get to see him sleeping so many more times. Maybe even wake up to that cute face. Your fingers weaved through his hair as you gently jostled him until he opened his eyes. “Darling, you need to wake up. We have to go.” With a grumble and some rubbing of his eyes, he got back up and you both rushed to get back to the others. Hizashi and Nemmy looked like they might explode if they didn’t hit you with a snide remark.

The rest of the day passed by just fine. Sure it was an exciting day as your first one both working and with Shouta but it was still work. Ecto was a sweetheart and the two of you worked on plans for decorating his classroom as well. When you told him earlier about Shouta’s present, he couldn’t hold back his excitement. “I can’t believe he’s been hiding you from all of us.” It was sweet and reassured you that you wouldn’t just be Shouta’s partner or the new teacher but a welcomed part of the staff. The end of the day could not come soon enough and as you all gathered your things to leave, Shouta hovered behind you. “Breathe. You can wait.” He pouted a little but quickly hid it when Vlad burst out laughing. “It’s cute, right?” Vlad’s nodding was accompanied by his almost silent wheezing laugh. Walking out was extremely exciting. If you could run without everyone making fun of you, you would. Once you stepped off campus grounds, you knew you wouldn’t last long.

The walk to your place was a mostly silent one. You were pretty sure that if either of you said two words, you would jump each other right in the next alleyway. Once you were on the other side of the door of your apartment, his arms were around you tight. His face was snuggled into your shoulder and you could feel him smiling against you. Your head rested on his as you stood in silence. It was warm but not just in a physical way. Your heart felt warm in a way it hadn’t in a very long time. Your skin tingled under his in the few places it touched around your clothing. After a while, Shouta’s face peeked up from your shoulder and nuzzled against your chin. His stubble brushing against your skin and making it itch a little. “We should go to your bedroom.” He pulled away just enough to move to your side and wrap his arm with you, grasping your hand in his. You led him through your apartment. Your skin on fire. You had thought about this moment so many times.

It was happening.

taglist - @thatcutewerewolf @propertyofpoeandbucky @goodgodimaweirdperson @moon-spirit-yue @ravenkake @grungelovebug @freyafolkvangr @punicorn999 @courtneypaigemartin @pasteldaze @therealwalmartjesus @ethylalcoholforfandoms @ineedmorefanfics @lunarentity @delightfully-anonymous @moremilkforkags @noonewouldlisten25 @jazzylove @megalomango @bluefaeriefury @kizzannebaby @thepuckishrogue

#aizawa #aizawa shouta #aizawa fanfiction #aizawa x reader #aizawa x gn!reader #gn!reader #bnha #mha #reader insert #bnha smau #smau: i never said friends #mha smau #aizawa smau #smau #part twentyseven #gender neutral #fanfiction #literatelogan #literateloganworks

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izloveshorses · 3 years

Text

Waiting

Canonverse, 1.5k, “missing scene” format. Sometime during Learn to Do It or any time before they leave Petersburg. This came to me fully written as soon as I woke up so... here u go I guess

“Dmitry, let’s get out of here,” Anya muttered, grabbing his wrist. They’d crossed paths at the market after her shift and he told her to stay close until it was time to go home, since the sun was setting and this place was dangerous after dark.

He glanced down, completely baffled, as they wove through the crowded street. “What’s wrong?”

“See that man over there?” she nodded towards one of the slimy vendors selling antiques. “He’s not a good man.”

“There are plenty of indecent men here.” But he fell into step beside her anyway. “How do you know him?”

She hesitated, wondering how much she wanted to reveal. That encounter definitely wasn’t a memory she wanted to relive. “He stole something from me once. When I first arrived in Leningrad.”

He didn’t speak again until they’d left the square. “What did he take?”

“A silver pendant. The nurses at the hospital gave it to me before I left.”

“Hmm.” He adjusted the satchel on his shoulder. “Did he do anything else to you?”

She swallowed. “Nothing I want to talk about.”

He was silent the entire rest of the way back. But after months of living in close quarters, she could tell by the way his jaw clenched or his fists tightened around his strap that he was stewing in anger. It was a silly thing to be angry about, really. No point in wanting to change what’d already happened. Though she didn’t offer up any other conversation either.

They spent the evening reviewing the family tree again and their various titles, she and Dmitry bickered until Vlad got annoyed enough to put a stop to it, and Anya went to bed early. The next day went on as usual— she worked until her palms and feet blistered, collected her wages, met Vlad in the palace, cleaned, and otherwise kept herself busy. But Dmitry was later than he normally was.

The first hour she didn’t think about it. Yes, it was unusual for Dmitry to be untimely, but there were some viable reasons he was held up somewhere.

She told Vlad as much in the second hour, who was starting to verbalize his concern. They shared a sorry dinner of canned beans and mushrooms, and Anya suggested starting her lessons on etiquette without him, and he welcomed the distraction.

The third hour was when she started worrying. Curfew had passed and if he hadn’t found a place to hide for the night, he was truly in danger, and several hypotheticals ran across Anya’s mind. What if he was arrested? Kidnapped? Mugged? Drunk at a bar? Dead?

“Would he run away without us?” She asked Vlad. He was teaching her a card game by the dim light of a lantern on the table.

He chuckled. “I know you two don’t get along, but he’s loyal.” He placed a face card down and Anya sighed. Gambling could’ve been in her past but it definitely wasn’t something in her future. “Even if he were to run, it wouldn’t be a smart move at this point. Which, if anything, he’s smart.”

Hour four was the worst part. Those hypotheticals turned into very real possibilities, and the thought of what would happen if he actually didn’t come back made her stomach swirl. It wasn’t like she enjoyed him, necessarily, but she never wished for anything horrible to happen to him. Selfishly she wondered if she’d be stuck here in this palace if he never came back. Or if all of what she’d been working for was wasted. But those worries weren’t everlasting, so when she was still pacing the living area she realized there was more there than she thought. Maybe it was that, admittedly, he didn’t deserve to be snuffed out like so many others she’d seen over the years. Or maybe she didn’t actually hate him as much as she wanted to, or as much as she tried to. That thought was the most frustrating of all.

“Vlad?” she asked, voice small in the massive space.

“Yes, dear?” He’d picked up a book to read in the low light, but he was clearly unable to focus, constantly shifting himself in his seat, worried for his friend.

“Do you think I was too mean to him?”

He barked a laugh, the noise making her jump after hours of solemn quiet. “Our boy needs to be put in his place every once in a while, don’t worry.” his laughter quieted but he continued when he noticed she was still looking at him expectantly. “Even so, no. That’s not something you need to be thinking about now.”

The guilt simmered down in her stomach, but the answer still didn’t ease her worry. She fiddled with the fire from her spot on the floor for the millionth time and tossed the last log onto the coals. She knew it was probably premature or unhealthy to think like this, but she couldn’t focus on her own book, so she just hugged her knees and stared at the embers. And waited.

Finally, there was a squeak of the front door and a rush of wind. She and Vlad leapt to their feet in a rush. Vlad saw him first and gave an exuberant holler. “It’s good to see you, my boy!”

When caught sight of him she suddenly felt embarrassed for worrying. Dmitry trudged through the doorway, a little worse for wear, a hand on his lower abdomen, but here and alive. He looked at her like he wasn’t sure what to expect, and now that he was here she wasn’t quite sure what to do, either. So she got angry. Naturally. “Where have you been?!”

“I got held up,” he grunted. “Sorry about that.”

“Are you all right?” Vlad asked, taking his coat.

“Just bruised, nothing serious.”

“It’s past curfew!” Anya was too upset to be compassionate. “I was— Vlad was so worried! You could’ve been arrested or dead in an alley and we’d never know! What were you thinking!”

“Relax, I’m here now.”

“Don’t tell me to relax!” They’d moved into the kitchen now where he was stepping out of his sopping boots. Vlad’s smile was nearly giddy with relief but she still held her ground. “What could’ve possibly held you up that long?”

He only grinned, tired but proud, and dug into his pocket. “This.”

Her brow furrowed and she stepped closer to look. In his palm was a silver pendant with the imperial seal stamped to the front and an Eiffel Tower on the back, an odd combination of clues. The exact pendant she’d mentioned yesterday.

It took a moment to piece together the dots. Why he was gone so long. The bruises. The piece of her past and the only gift from the kind nurses she had left in his palm. That meant… he’d put himself in danger, went looking for trouble, just to steal something she’d mentioned offhandedly once?

“I can’t believe that guy still had this,” he started, breaking the silence. “There’s probably nothing else like it. No chain, though.”

She shook her head, swallowing, and finally met his eyes again. “Why?” Why risk his life and everything they’d worked towards for this?

He only shrugged. “I hate thieves who steal without reason.” He grinned again and raised an eyebrow. “You going soft on me?”

She hadn’t noticed there were tears in her eyes and she angrily wiped them away. “No! I’m—” She didn’t know what to think. Her hands still shook with anger at making her feel so worried for so long for something so small, but the enormous gratitude expanded in her chest. At this point she couldn’t tell if her body wanted to throw a punch at that grin or kiss him. She did neither; flinging her arms around his waist instead seemed sufficient enough.

She must’ve surprised him because he froze. After a second, though, she felt awkward hands pat her back, and she pulled away quickly, not meeting his eyes. Then, to cover up whatever just happened, she punched him in the shoulder.

“Ow!”

“Don’t scare us like that again!”

He laughed and rubbed his shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

She remembered Vlad was there, who looked incredibly confused and amused. “I’m going to bed,” she told him, too exhausted for anything else.

On her way out of the kitchen she caught a glimpse of their conversation. “Oh, don’t look at me like that!”

“That was very gentlemanly of you, Dmitry. Are you going soft?”

“Be quiet. You know that’s not why I did it.”

“Sure, and what’s next? Flowers? Chocolates?”

Anya smiled to herself, unable to hear the rest. She rubbed her thumb on the side of the pendant, re-memorizing the worn bumps and edges, and tucked it in the pocket of the inside of her coat. It fell with a clack onto her diamond. No, she wouldn’t think too much of any of it, even if it rested against her heart.

#dimya #anastasia broadway #anastasia #fanfiction #my writing #anastasia musical #all five of my other wips are mad at me but i had no choice i'm sorry #i don't think dmitry is really the type of person to go looking for a fight but ladies can u *imagine*

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life-rewritten · 4 years

Text

DISMAYS VS RELIEFS AKA REVIEW/RANTS OF BL IN SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER

It's been an interesting experience this past few months. BL came back in full force, took mostly all days in the week and you know what? It surprised the hell out of me. Mostly because I was moving back and forth from the decision of whether to stop watching or to wait and trust something extraordinary would happen like last year. And then October/November happened before I knew it I was falling again for some storylines, I was excited again to analyse and talk about these shows, and also I was incredibly grateful for some of the messages I received from these shows, they educated me, humbled me and even pushed me to my own version of self-acceptance, learning and love. So there are some disappointments with some of the shows mentioned here, but overall I'm grateful we got to see these shows and wait for them every week to air. This is the first part of this list because in another two weeks I have more shows ending. December is shaking!

Ratings: From 1 to 5 (1 being least excited to watch, 5 being most,) how excited am I to delve into these shows?

DISMAYS

1. MY GEAR AND MY GOWN

Genre/Themes: Romance, Melodrama, Angst, Drama, Friendship, Unrequited Love, Family

Country: Thailand

Verdict:

Um, this show. I've been through a lot with this show, I've been angry, frustrated, tired, annoyed but weirdly I love this show, by the end of the finale, this show left me with warmth and this energy of bliss and joy. I realised that the reason why I was so harsh to this show was because of the potential I saw when I first saw the first episode. I fell in love because I could tell it was symbolic, it was deep, and it also had interesting devices used to tell the plot. Who knew that the pacing and directing of this show would nearly leave me mad and furious because it could have been better. This is all on the director, and sometimes the actors, they weren't expressive enough, they weren't emotional enough, and they didn't entirely sell me on what they were meant to be feeling. Sometimes it felt awkward and stiff and unbelievable, and at those times, I felt disappointed and bored. But the characters of this show and especially some actors (FIAT and JJ) really stole my heart without me wanting them to. I fell in love with the couples, I loved analysing them and feeling their angst and understanding their character dynamics. I lived for their friendship and enjoyed watching how it all came together. Even some of the romantic scenes made me swoon and excited, and I was just so happy to watch these couples choose each other.

I also think the relationship dynamics, whilst sometimes annoying, was actually sweet and wholesome. Itt and Pai's love is so cute and memorable, and I understood why they wanted each other, they both helped each other so much, and I thought it was beautiful. Pure and Folk; everything, no words, they were incredible despite rushed and late, I enjoyed watching their love on my screen, and it left me so disappointed that we could have had more if the pacing was done right. Either way, despite the rants and criticisms this show was a gem to me, one of my favourites just because of the couple dynamics. I will miss it, and I will miss analysing it. But please NEW sort your self out, and stop with the slow pace directing; you're killing your shows, (just my opinion) but you're making me dread the shows I've been so excited for in 2021, and I really pray you won't ruin them. Nough said.

Ratings:3.8/5 I can't rate it higher, but I do think it deserves credit, this show is very underrated as much as it annoyed me it's actually a decent show, it's very educational sometimes. It also has character development and growth. The romances are sweet and definitely should be paid attention to.

2. A CHANCE TO LOVE/ LOVE BY CHANCE SEASON 2

Genre/Themes: Comedy, Romance, Drama, Friendship, Rich, poor dynamic,

Country: Thailand

Verdict:

MGAYG was not the only show that New produced/ directed. There was this atrocity. No offence to everyone who loved this show, I love TinCan, I like most of the couples of the show, I didn't even complain when the show was rebooted, I didn't complain when there was not enough plot for the side couples for the first 8 episodes. But what annoys the hell out of me with this show is the lazy writing. I am so disappointed with this show, I realised that by the finale I was just tired and I was only watching it for some actors not even characters ( I was watching it to see a glimpse of Meen and Est), and it really made me sad. Because I started off with this show a bundle of joy, to see Tin and Can fall in love with each other again, I ignored when the haters said it was boring, awkward or stiff. I even accepted the massive amounts of product placement that was placed lazily and annoyingly. I was ready to forgive everything with this show. But I ended up feeling slighted, not me the actors should feel slighted, Cooheart, Mark Siwat, Gun, Title, Meen, Est should feel slighted by this show because this show wasted their potentials and only showed them for minutes in the whole 12 hours that this show aired for. I am so angry at the writer because she was lazy. She had clocked out when it came to this script (Though I don't blame her when everyone kept on sending her threats to how she told the previous story, she silenced her own creative ideas and muted everything, hence why Kengla and Techno's story was destroyed and became lazy and not needed and confusing, and Tum and Tar and Keen made no sense). Mame had given up on this show long before it aired.

But as much as I am disappointed at her for doing so, I also have to take this back to New, he's the person again who ruined this show with his pacing and directing. I love New, but this year it wasn't it, he is the main flaw in both his shows, he doesn't know when to pace things properly, he rushes plots at the end, and he doesn't give enough time to side couples for them to make sense. He did well in season 1 I think, but this season was atrocious. I am heavily disappointed, and I want to forget this show exists. I do have to give credit to Mean because I think he carried the show, I think Plan was cute but he was uncomfortable, and he ruined a lot of moments for me despite how much I love his chemistry with Mean. So yeh LBC was a disappointment, but it still holds a special place in my heart because I did care about the cast (maybe not as much anymore because of their homophobia) but LBC was one of my first loved BLs to see such a disappointing follow up is just heartbreaking.

Ratings:2.9/5 I couldn't bring my self to rate it even a three because I genuinely don't want to rewatch or think about this show again that's a pity because I genuinely love TinCan and MeenEst. But hey ho, c'est la vie.

RELIEFS

Gaya Sa Pelikula

Genre/Themes: Romance, Drama, Comedy, Angst, LGBTQ+ Education, Contract relationship, Haters to lovers

Country: Philippines

Verdict: We finally reached the end. And the way I didn't want this show to end, is just too much. I completed this show on the floor sobbing, clenching my heart and just reflecting and thinking about everything. One I was in shock, wasn't expecting something like this when I first watched this show. I had a lot of doubts despite the sneaky light in my heart from the comedy and energy and charisma from the show. I fell. Hard. For everything. Before I knew it, Fridays meant everything to me, if I could get to keep watching this show, it made laugh, smile, cry, weep, and it made me think and learn. It's weird how a show can mean so much to people, this show wasn't for me, it was a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community, a beautiful one, and with everybody's reaction, I think I can say for all of us, that this show was a masterpiece. It had everything, a plot that was so deep, interesting and unique, characters that felt real, understandable and relatable, lessons that made everyone think and question how they acted, how they viewed things, what we say, how we consider our selves, what is our story that we want to tell to the world?

It's just incredible, not only that this show had terrific production, directing, acting and music that will stick with me for a long time. The music was perfectly used, perfectly mixed in, and it touched everyone's heart. This show left me feeling healed, it was weird, I don't know how to relate to the struggles of Internalised homophobia, but I get anxiety, I get feeling like you're not the main character in your story, I get feeling like your life was already planned out and your dreams don't matter, I get hiding and running away from the world and finding a place to stay in your head and find peace and I get feeling overlooked and misunderstood. Overall I get the fight for self healing, acceptance and love. And Vlad and Karl went through that, and it was so beautiful to see them grow and become what they wanted to be, even if they couldn't be together because of that. Everything including the side characters in this show meant something, each had their own story, flaws and importance for why they were there, and I loved it. Words can't explain how good this show is, and the fact that no one came into it, knowing anything is just such inspirational and hopeful thing, out there, there are content and stories to consume that can teach and affect you and make you want to do something with your own. And Gaya Sa pelikula was one of those for me. I don't wanna say Goodbye, and hopefully, we get to see them again soon.

Ratings: 5/5 I would give this more than 5 if I could. That's how much this show means to me.

4. I TOLD SUNSET ABOUT YOU/ TRANSLATE MY LOVE WITH YOUR HEART

Genre/Themes: Romance, Melodrama, Coming of Age, Angst, Drama, Childhood friendship

Country: Thailand

Verdict: Wow. All I can say is wow. I find my self not able to talk about this show, because like what else can I say that everyone hasn't said. It's outstanding. No words. I think this show was just out of nowhere, I mean probably not; because it was a Nadao production but still, for a BL? Out of nowhere. The effort, the acting, the music, the production, the themes and the way it was all so perfectly told? It was a journey, I ended up at times also on the floor sobbing, shouting and just like feeling so single. Haha. But really this show is ridiculously good, it's like something that can't be fully explained, it's still a shock to me (and I really need to start believing in potentials of BLs more), it is, I'm just thankful I guess, for the 5 hours spent with this show, the number of essays derived from this show, the way Teh and Oh snuck in my heart and refused to leave. I think we all want a love like Teh and Oh, someone who completely takes your breath away, is selfless for you and is your number one supporter and fan. Someone who the room spins around for and your world only focuses on, someone who makes you brave.

And I think Teh and Oh found that with each other, and it was beautiful to witness, it was heartbreaking as well to see them struggle with it, it was also peaceful to reach the end and see them safe and secure with each other. ITSAY was everything, it also means a lot to me because the writing and directing are effortless, it's inspiring and beautiful to see how it came about, its so fulfilling to see how much effort went into this production. And I can't wait to see how Part 2 unfolds next year. I will say that with all the angst and longing, the ending did feel unsatisfactory because I just felt that all the tension and emotion invested just became really tame at the end, all the angst just fell apart so rapidly, and it felt weird that it ended in a hug? But with all the theories about sad endings and the other directions the writer could have gone with I'm happy it was a happy ending, and I'm delighted our boys reunited and became each other's most immense success/happiness.

Ratings: 4.5/5 Yeh I want to give it a 5/5 but the ending like I said felt a little bit empty for me, I didn't feel satisfied or like complete but that's because there's a part 2 coming. Still is the best Thai BL ever created. And it deserves all the praise.

November was a ride, I think I've cried so much during these past weeks, but honestly, I'm so glad BLs are just improving and putting more effort in, BLs are no longer just for fujoshis to consume. Still, now they represent and educate about LGBTQ+ experiences, they feel relatable and understandable. They're not as toxic as before. We're getting healthier relationships, we're getting depth and unique plots, we're getting happy endings as well. It's very lovely to see the growth, and I can't wait to see what December brings or next year. I'm just so proud of these actors, I'm proud of actors who actually respect this genre and understands why people like it, for me I really enjoy learning about things I never thought or experienced, it humbles me, and it inspires me so much. I'm grateful for these shows. Hopefully, there's many more like ITSAY and GSP to come. Please.

#thai bl #bl drama #bl series #itsay #i told sunset about you #gaya sa pelikula #gsp #like in the movies #wrpup #november #my gear and your gown #mgayg #a chance to love #love by chance #lbc #tincan #tulhin #mark siwat #pinoy bl

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symphonyofthewrite · 3 years

Text

Undead Memory (Ch2)

Fandom: Castlevania (Netflix)

Character Focus: Alucard

Summary: What happened during that month in which Alucard was alone in the castle?

Alucard dealing with the aftermath of S2, and trying to cope with the death—or, more accurately, the ghosts—of his parents.

Chapter 2: The Ticking of the Fire, the Hunger of the Clock

Dracula had been the king of vampires for centuries. He walked with death at his stride and destruction lurking in his shadow. All the humans feared him, all the vampires revered him.

Today none would have recognized the husk in the study. Those blank eyes didn’t even have strength enough for malice towards the humans he waged war upon, just…infinite exhaustion. Like killing the world with a lazy wave of his hand. Upon a glance, onlookers would have never said he was the king of the vampires, much less the most feared and fearsome of them all.

Footsteps sounded off behind him, a gentle hand along his shoulder.

“Why don’t you come play with us?” Lisa asked. “It’s not like you’ve got plans or anything.”

“Yes, Father! Come play!” Smaller footsteps now. “Look! Look what I found!”

“Oh! Adrian, where did you get that?” Lisa laughed, though there was concern in her voice.

“Down by the pond!”

“Now, Honey.” She knelt down. “You can’t just take animals from their natural environment.”

“Why not? I’ll be nice to it! It’ll be a wonderful pet!”

“Is this because your father won’t let you get a dog?”

“Maaaybe.”

“I’m sure you would be nice to it, honey.” She ruffled his hair. “But, well…how would you feel if giant hand came and took you from your home?”

“Oh…” Adrian’s voice fell. “I wouldn’t like that.”

“How about we go put it back together?”

“Okay.”

“You coming honey?”

The fire asked him to stay.

“I’m going into town.” Lisa threw her cloak and a smile over her shoulders, “I’ll see you in about a week. Take good care of Adrian while I’m gone, okay?”

He almost heard the ghost of his own voice: “We’ll try not to have too much fun without you.”

A phantom kiss on his cheek.

He barely raised his eye over his shoulder. There was nothing.

We told you not to look, the flames chided him.

The world he once knew turned, and this time the footsteps were louder—of someone taller.

“Father, look what I found!” It was Adrian’s voice, but deeper. Adrian’s hand on his shoulder, but his touch wasn’t so tiny. “This manuscript has to be at least a thousand years old! Where did you get this?!”

—(Some time long gone, just as you are)—

The flames licked at his ear, and told him not to answer.

***

“Then find the one who did the deed. If you loose an army of the night on Wallachia, you cannot undo it, and many thousands of people just as innocent as her will suffer and die…I won’t let you do it. I grieve with you, but I won’t let you commit genocide.”

“There are no innocents! Not anymore!”

He dug his nails into the chair, leaving angry gashes in the leather.

You have nothing left to lose now. The fire hissed. Just stay with us.

So he did.

Alucard leans over the counter, using his knife to make precise shapes in the dough.

“That smells good!”

“Oh you want one, do you?” A woman’s teasing voice.

“Only if I’m allowed." Alucard looks through his arm to see a little version of himself speaking sheepishly, putting his hands behind his back, as if he’d previously taken one when he wasn’t allowed, and feels the need to be extra polite now.

“Yes.” She smiles. “Yes you may.” She hands him a cookie, and his face splits into a smile.

Instead of successfully make the next cut in his own cookie Alucard fumbles with the knife.

The woman’s laugh echoes in his ear, shifting the scene. “No, honey, like this. It’s not the same as when you’re using a sword.”

He wants to look at her, but decides to lean further over his own cookie dough, balling his free hand into a fist.

“She’s right, you know,” a man’s—well, vampire’s—voice says from behind him, “You can be gentler with food than with flesh. Though,” he chuckles, “I suppose, for me it’s the same thing.”

“Vlad.” Lisa warns. “Try not be so vulgar in front of our son.”

Alucard shuts his eyes, as if the scene is indeed vulgar.

—(Rather than the truth: he can't bear how much the words want to make him smile…and he certainly isn’t going to let himself cry)—

“I think you forget, this is a vampire’s lair.”

“I think you forget that it’s both a vampire and a human’s home.”

Alucard doesn’t realize the knife is cutting into his finger until he the silence allows the clock to click its tongue in disappointment.

****

“Woosh!” A child zooms past Alucard in the hall.

He turns to see a younger version of himself carrying a toy bat above him—floating a few inches off the ground himself.

“Wait for me, Son!” His father isn’t far behind. He could easily dash after him in a flash of power, but he clearly wants his son to think he's at least somewhat normal.

Alucard thinks he feels wind brush past him as the memories speed by, but when they fade from earshot he realizes the cold is nothing more than that.

The clock in the other room chimes to notify him it's noon.

You’ll never have that again, say the bells.

*****

“And so, the prince and princess were married, and they lived happily ever after.” Lisa closes the book.

“Aww, it’s over?” Her son whines.

“It was a happy ending though!” She laughs. “That’s all we can ask for, right?”

“May I suggest something with a little more substance next time?” Her husband asks from the other couch, turning the page of his own book.

—(If only you were made of substance after all)—

“What do you have against fairy tales?”

“Nothing. I’m not one for fanciful romances, dashing princes, and the sort.”

“Oh you’re not, are you?” She takes a rose from a vase on the table beside her, smelling it.

He rolls his eyes.

Alucard gets up to read his book in another room, trying to shove the—

miss

you)

out of his head.

Why do the ghosts have to remind him of those stories, of her voice as she read them to him? Why not allow him to read his book today in peace, and blissfully forget?

The silence closes in on him from all sides, and the clock ticks in time to his footsteps.

******

The light from the window splits into dappled bits by the shattered mirror as Alucard runs his finger over the spines of the books, looking for a specific one.

“There are no innocents! Not anymore!”

This time he can’t help whirling around at the sound, horror and fear striking him, and for a moment he's there again, and there's only the sound of his heart, and his father’s raised hand.

When his eyes graze nothing, the scene dissipates like a breath.

Alucard’s hand instinctively moves to his chest, a dull sting echoing at the place where his father’s nails had carved, the tracks remaining in his skin that would probably never completely heal.

He abandons his pursuit of the book, his footsteps getting louder as he marches out of the room.

They’re getting worse, aren’t they? Askes the clock.

*******

Alucard stares at a speck of dirt on the canopy in his bed. It looks kinda like a frog. Or maybe Hungary.

Footsteps sound at the doorway—small ones trying to mask themselves. Once the steps would have made him shoot up and summon his sword. He's used to the ghosts by now.

He narrows his eyes, trying to look without actually sitting up, and sees a small golden face half-hidden in the doorway.

A cold wind passes through him, and for a moment he can't breathe, and draws a hand to his mouth.

“Having trouble sleeping?” Lisa’s ghost—(the thing that passed through him)—sits on the edge of the bed.

Adrian nods.

She pats the bed beside her.

Adrian runs in, as if both relief and fear propel him. He jumps up beside her, making the bed hop a little.

Vlad stirs on the other side, grunting a question.

“Adrian’s had a nightmare.” She runs her hand along her son’s back.

Another grunt.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Lisa asks her son.

“Well…there was this…This demon was chasing me. Well, I didn’t know exactly what it was, but it sounded really big…I was really scared…I didn’t know what to do!"

“What’re you scared of a little demon for?” Vlad mutters, half asleep. “You’re strong enough to take those monsters down, son.”

Lisa chuckles, twisting a lock of her son's hair around her finger. “Even if you weren’t—which, you definitely are—your dad is the king of vampires. You know you can always call for assistance, right?”

Another grunt from his father.

That, at least, makes Adrian smile.

Alucard is sure there's only one clock in the room, but, as the silence overtakes the space, it seems every clock in the castle decides to begin chattering with ferocity.

He lays a while in the silence, trying to will his brain into sleep.

Then sits up sharply, throwing off the covers, telling to the clock, and the empty room, in a low voice;

“I have to get out of here.”

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antihero-writings · 3 years

Text

Undead Memory (Ch2)

Fandom: Castlevania (Netflix)

Character Focus: Alucard

Summary: What happened during that month in which Alucard was alone in the castle? Alucard dealing with the aftermath of S2, and trying to cope with the death—or, more accurately, the ghosts—of his parents.

Chapter 2: The Ticking of the Fire, the Hunger of the Clock

Dracula had been the king of vampires for centuries. He walked with death at his stride and destruction lurking in his shadow. All the humans feared him, all the vampires revered him.

Footsteps sounded off behind him, a gentle hand along his shoulder.

“Why don’t you come play with us?” Lisa asked. “It’s not like you’ve got plans or anything.”

“Yes, Father! Come play!” Smaller footsteps now. “Look! Look what I found!”

“Oh! Adrian, where did you get that?” Lisa laughed, though there was concern in her voice.

“Down by the pond!”

“Now, Honey.” She knelt down. “You can’t just take animals from their natural environment.”

“Why not? I’ll be nice to it! It’ll be a wonderful pet!”

“Is this because your father won’t let you get a dog?”

“Maaaybe.”

“I’m sure you would be nice to it, honey.” She ruffled his hair. “But, well…how would you feel if giant hand came and took you from your home?”

“Oh…” Adrian’s voice fell. “I wouldn’t like that.”

“How about we go put it back together?”

“Okay.”

“You coming honey?”

The fire asked him to stay.

“I’m going into town.” Lisa threw her cloak and a smile over her shoulders, “I’ll see you in about a week. Take good care of Adrian while I’m gone, okay?”

He almost heard the ghost of his own voice: “We’ll try not to have too much fun without you.”

A phantom kiss on his cheek.

He barely raised his eye over his shoulder. There was nothing.

We told you not to look, the flames chided him.

The world he once knew turned, and this time the footsteps were louder—of someone taller.

—(Some time long gone, just as you are)—

The flames licked at his ear, and told him not to answer.

***

“There are no innocents! Not anymore!”

He dug his nails into the chair, leaving angry gashes in the leather.

You have nothing left to lose now. The fire hissed. Just stay with us.

So he did.

Alucard leans over the counter, using his knife to make precise shapes in the dough.

“That smells good!”

“Oh you want one, do you?” A woman’s teasing voice.

“Yes.” She smiles. “Yes you may.” She hands him a cookie, and his face splits into a smile.

Instead of successfully make the next cut in his own cookie Alucard fumbles with the knife.

The woman’s laugh echoes in his ear, shifting the scene. “No, honey, like this. It’s not the same as when you’re using a sword.”

He wants to look at her, but decides to lean further over his own cookie dough, balling his free hand into a fist.

“Vlad.” Lisa warns. “Try not be so vulgar in front of our son.”

Alucard shuts his eyes, as if the scene is indeed vulgar.

—(Rather than the truth: he can't bear how much the words want to make him smile…and he certainly isn’t going to let himself cry)—

“I think you forget, this is a vampire’s lair.”

“I think you forget that it’s both a vampire and a human’s home.”

Alucard doesn’t realize the knife is cutting into his finger until he the silence allows the clock to click its tongue in disappointment.

****

“Woosh!” A child zooms past Alucard in the hall.

He turns to see a younger version of himself carrying a toy bat above him—floating a few inches off the ground himself.

“Wait for me, Son!” His father isn’t far behind. He could easily dash after him in a flash of power, but he clearly wants his son to think he's at least somewhat normal.

Alucard thinks he feels wind brush past him as the memories speed by, but when they fade from earshot he realizes the cold is nothing more than that.

The clock in the other room chimes to notify him it's noon.

You’ll never have that again, say the bells.

*****

“And so, the prince and princess were married, and they lived happily ever after.” Lisa closes the book.

“Aww, it’s over?” Her son whines.

“It was a happy ending though!” She laughs. “That’s all we can ask for, right?”

“May I suggest something with a little more substance next time?” Her husband asks from the other couch, turning the page of his own book.

—(If only you were made of substance after all)—

“What do you have against fairy tales?”

“Nothing. I’m not one for fanciful romances, dashing princes, and the sort.”

“Oh you’re not, are you?” She takes a rose from a vase on the table beside her, smelling it.

He rolls his eyes.

Alucard gets up to read his book in another room, trying to shove the—

miss

you)

out of his head.

Why do the ghosts have to remind him of those stories, of her voice as she read them to him? Why not allow him to read his book today in peace, and blissfully forget?

The silence closes in on him from all sides, and the clock ticks in time to his footsteps.

******

The light from the window splits into dappled bits by the shattered mirror as Alucard runs his finger over the spines of the books, looking for a specific one.

“There are no innocents! Not anymore!”

This time he can’t help whirling around at the sound, horror and fear striking him, and for a moment he's there again, and there's only the sound of his heart, and his father’s raised hand.

When his eyes graze nothing, the scene dissipates like a breath.

Alucard’s hand instinctively moves to his chest, a dull sting echoing at the place where his father’s nails had carved, the tracks remaining in his skin that would probably never completely heal.

He abandons his pursuit of the book, his footsteps getting louder as he marches out of the room.

They’re getting worse, aren’t they? Askes the clock.

*******

Alucard stares at a speck of dirt on the canopy in his bed. It looks kinda like a frog. Or maybe Hungary.

Footsteps sound at the doorway—small ones trying to mask themselves. Once the steps would have made him shoot up and summon his sword. He's used to the ghosts by now.

He narrows his eyes, trying to look without actually sitting up, and sees a small golden face half-hidden in the doorway.

A cold wind passes through him, and for a moment he can't breathe, and draws a hand to his mouth.

“Having trouble sleeping?” Lisa’s ghost—(the thing that passed through him)—sits on the edge of the bed.

Adrian nods.

She pats the bed beside her.

Adrian runs in, as if both relief and fear propel him. He jumps up beside her, making the bed hop a little.

Vlad stirs on the other side, grunting a question.

“Adrian’s had a nightmare.” She runs her hand along her son’s back.

Another grunt.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Lisa asks her son.

“Well…there was this…This demon was chasing me. Well, I didn’t know exactly what it was, but it sounded really big…I was really scared…I didn’t know what to do!"

“What’re you scared of a little demon for?” Vlad mutters, half asleep. “You’re strong enough to take those monsters down, son.”

Another grunt from his father.

That, at least, makes Adrian smile.

Alucard is sure there's only one clock in the room, but, as the silence overtakes the space, it seems every clock in the castle decides to begin chattering with ferocity.

He lays a while in the silence, trying to will his brain into sleep.

Then sits up sharply, throwing off the covers, telling to the clock, and the empty room, in a low voice;

“I have to get out of here.”

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anthropwashere · 4 years

Text

Phic Phight: it’s all downhill from here (honey don’t be scared)

Prompt from @aggressivelyclueless: Halfa Valerie AU: Valerie becomes half-ghost. Apart from that being a total nightmare, this also leads her to discover Danny's secret as well. How is she going to handle it?

@currentlylurking @phicphight

Word count: 7,825

Mr. Heppenheimer, the latest in a long line of chemistry teachers that have come through Casper High since actual, real life ghosts have begun treating Amity Park like their own personal Las Vegas retreat away from the rigors of whatever normal life is like for ghosts in the Ghost Zone, gives Danny a lingering stink eye. Clearly the last teacher, Mrs. Jamshidi (who barely lasted a month, and submitted her two-week notice while recovering in the hospital after an admittedly memorable encounter with Ember), had left notes behind for her successor. Danny doubted a single word of it was in his favor.

"This practical's worth a quarter of your grade this semester," Mr. Heppenheimer says in his usual droll way. "You're not going to make me regret handing you glassware, are you, Mister Fenton?"

Danny, still a bit sore and off-kilter after another Jack Fenton-approved growth spurt, grins down at him. "No, sir."

Mr. Heppenheimer hums doubtfully. Clearly Mrs. Jamshidi had left extensive notes. "Don't make me regret this."

"Short of a ghost attack, I doubt you will," Danny answers truthfully. He really has gotten a much better control on his powers since the last time any science teacher let him near anything fragile, well over a year ago now. Mrs. Gorman hated him from the start for reasons he never figured out, anyway. He's looking forward to a fresh start.

Of course, worryingly enough Danny’s been sensing a pretty powerful ghost lurking around Casper High for over a week now. Along with the usual big green beasties that like to come sniffing around crowds of humans, which he’s had to dip out to handle three times now. No one’s noticed his on-going ghost sense, though it helps that he’s long-since gotten into the habit of keeping one hand cupped lazily over his mouth—just in case. That’ll be harder to pass off here in a practical lab, but there ought to be a lot of things bubbling and steaming soon. He just has to be careful until he’s got some cover.

Mr. Heppenheimer hums again, more dismissive than doubtful, and lets him approach the counter. His partner in this practical is Star, which is—randomized, definitely. Whatever, also definitely. He and Star have as much in common as him and an actual star, which is to say—nothing. He doesn't even generate heat anymore, not really. He's got a modified Maddie Fenton-approved belt buckle that lets him fake it, but it's not remotely the same thing, and not a

ll that convincing at close quarters anyway. Star, at least, knows him well enough that she's been bringing a mint green cardigan to class ever since they were assigned project partners.

Danny, well-aware he’s only good in the eyes of his peers for a laugh and anti-ghost tech, smiles thinly at Star and gestures at her to take the lead. She sniffs pointedly and does just so, which is fine with him. She's well on her way to valedictorian, whereas he's just trying to graduate. If deferring to whatever she wants gets him a passing grade, sure! He'll do whatever she says and accept whatever belittling comment she tacks on along with it. No skin off his back, right?

About twenty minutes into class there's a magnificent crash of glass that puts Danny 110% on edge; it's only Sam appearing at his left with a reassuring hand on his arm that keeps him from blasting a hole through the wall out of pure reflex. Which, maybe, possibly, likely says something about his state of mind after three straight years of fighting the kind of monsters that don't have any place outside of his very worst nightmares, but—whatever. Point is, thanks to Sam, he doesn't trash the lab or draw any unwanted attention to himself, both of which are good things! Another point in his favor: it’s finally somebody else’s turn to destroy a whole tray of beakers.

"Miss—Gray!" Mr. Heppenheimer shouts after a brief glance at the clipboard Danny hasn't seen him put down in the two weeks since he took the job. "What's the meaning of this?!"

"S-sorry!" Valerie stammers, her eyes firmly on the mess at her feet. Her project partner, Wes, is scowling at Danny. Likely because he believes the mess is entirely his fault. Wes can believe whatever he likes; just because he's the only one not fully in on The Big Secret who figured out The Big Secret out doesn't make him automatically right 100% of the time. Case in point: now. Danny's only touched his notebook, where he's got three pages of dutifully written notes on what Star's tasked him to write as she did all the metaphorical heavy lifting. He could swear on a stack of Bibles that this latest chemistry accident doesn't have a thing to do with him. It’s kind of refreshing, honestly.

Mr. Heppenheimer hums again. It seems to be his default over all the loud swearing he'd obviously prefer to be doing. "Clean it up. And do be careful, Miss Gray. I'd prefer to avoid sending anyone to the nurse's office today if I can help it."

"I—yeah. Yes, sorry." Valerie dashes off to the closet where all the safety-slash-cleaning gear is stashed to fetch cat litter, broom, and dustpan. Star scoffs on Danny's right, while Sam, hand still firmly squeezing Danny's bicep, has a worryingly thoughtful scowl on.

"Valerie has been such a mess since her dad lost his job," Star remarks in the usual scathingly cruel A-lister tone.

"He got his job back." Danny points out as he tries to shrug Sam off without making a big deal of it.

"So?" Star's tone has shifted from scathing to incredulous, which means she somehow didn't know something Danny's known since the tail end of their freshman year. It's admittedly bizarre to find himself able to lord some classmate gossip over an A-lister, but—with a glance at Sam to confirm it is, in fact, cool to lord this gossip over an A-lister—he gives Star a slow, sly grin as he gestures her closer. She leans in without an ounce of self-restraint or disgust, which means Danny's moved higher up the food chain since the last time he bothered to pay any attention.

"Valerie's dad used to be some bigwig in Axion Labs," he says, one eye on Sam and the other on Tucker, both of whom in turn are watching the teacher and the rest of the class. Just in case. "After Vlad—uh. Vladco, I mean—took over the company, Mister Gray got his position back despite Phantom screwing him over, and it's been smooth sailing for him ever since."

The sound of Valerie sweeping up broken glass gets discordantly loud, somehow. Danny doesn't have to look at her to know she's glaring daggers at him. He sets his shoulders and sticks the angle of his nose twenty degrees snootier, mostly to spite whatever murderous and/or weepy glower Valerie might be trying to laser into his soul. Which, whatever. He knows the shape of his own soul by now. He knows it's Phantom, plus or minus some degree of fiery white hair and green-tinged skin.

A bit of the old guilt niggles in the back of his head though. Accident or not, it was Phantom who cost Mr. Gray his job in the first place and Vlad who gave it back. And Vlad only did it at all once he realized his favorite little ghost fighting minion would be a better thorn in Phantom’s side if she didn’t have to work a part-time job at the Nasty Burger. Which—well. Danny’s glad she doesn’t have to deal with that anymore, for all that it does make her a better thorn in his side.

But—guilt. Dumb guilt, but on his plate all the same. He manages to edge the conversation to some other Gossip with a capital G that even Star's not aware of. Oh the things a guy can hear when he can literally turn invisible. It's kind of fun, honestly, to fill her in. The rest of the hour is spent hissing old-as-shit hearsay that still manages to make Star's eyes light up like she's watching Paulina’s favorite cabin burn down again. They do, somehow, manage to get their project pushed along to step three, which will pick up with the rest of all the normal and unobtrusive partnered projects tomorrow. He's not sure which of them is to thank for that, but he is more than a little pleased with how neatly he wrote their notes. It's the most like a regular student he's felt in months. It's honestly pretty great!

"We have a problem," Tucker hisses no less than five seconds and no more than ten after the bell rings. It's that perfect middle ground time of everyone shoving all their shit into their bags so they can bolt out the classroom door as fast as normal-humanly possible, so it's also that perfect middle ground time of nobody paying the three of them the least bit of attention.

"You noticed too?" Sam asks with her usual omniscient scowl. Danny truly and whole-heartedly wishes she'd stop with that, but he's yet to find an opportunity where he can say that to her face without coming across as a total shitheel, including now, so he grits his teeth and raises a pointedly baffled eyebrow at the both of them.

"Noticed what?" He asks with a patience he hasn't actually felt since junior high.

"Valerie's—" Tucker does a casual look around to see if anyone's close enough to eavesdrop, intentionally or no, which means this is a Phantom Thing. And if this is something Phantom and Valerie related? Yeah, no, he's in too good a mood for whatever latest gadget or trick Vlad might be cooking up via Valerie.

He holds up a hand with a sigh he automatically pretends is a yawn to cover up the blue wisp that escapes with it. "Can this wait? Better yet, can we just—not? At least for today? I'm really not up for counter-scheming."

"No need for that," Tucker assures way too quickly. The nervous laugh he follows it up with really doesn't help.

"Right," Danny says wryly, but motions to let them talk. Sam and Tucker share one of those weird non-verbal psychic looks where they have a whole conversation in the span of two seconds that goes right over Danny's head. He wishes they’d stop doing that, but if he called them out on it they’d deny it loudly, and it’d be a whole thing, and—ugh.

"Valerie's acting weird," Tucker says once they've finished. "As in, 'we definitely need to intervene' weird."

"Possessed?"

"No. But this might be worse."

"But this isn't the first time she made a mess in class,” Sam says.

Danny slips his one (1) notebook and one (1) pencil into his bag. He's learned the hard way to pack light and get real good at shorthand, as well as keep all his textbooks down in the Fenton dungeon where they're least likely to get torched in a ghost fight. Again. "Isn't it?"

"Nope," Tucker says as they make their way to the door. Danny's sure to give Mr. Heppenheimer some ever-so-slightly iridescent stink eye of his own to make him flinch, and then doubt himself for flinching. One good turn, and all that. "Seventh actually. Third a teacher noticed, but she's been weirding out a lot of the other students."

Danny grunts, more interested in shouldering other people out of the way to make it easier for Sam and Tucker to squeeze out into the hall. Hey, may as well get some mileage out of being one of the tallest guys in school, right?

Sam touches his elbow to make sure she's got his attention while they make their way to their next classes. She's got sign language, Tucker's got photography, and Danny's got a free hour to nap in the auditorium ceiling. "She's constantly dropping things, she's always shivering, every lie I've heard her tell a faculty member has been total nonsense, she hasn't gone after a single ghost in almost two weeks—"

"Well, that would explain why there's been an uptick in my fifth period snake-wrangling," Danny remarks dryly, then grins nastily at some girl giving him a serious case of side-eye. She squeaks—actually squeaks!—and ducks behind some broad-shouldered guy in an eye-wateringly neon football jersey.

Tucker wacks his other elbow, scowling up at him. "Dude, this is serious."

"I haven't heard a reason to care yet."

He doesn't have to look to see they're doing another round of psychic Concerned About Our Bestie back-and-forth. Sam's the one who trips him—damn her preference for steel-toed boots—but it's Tucker who shoves him into a nook between two battered banks of lockers. "Danny," they both snap.

He blinks down at them expectantly, staying quiet. Hey, they're the one's worried about the badass ghost fighting black belt who would love nothing more than an opportunity to strap Phantom down to an operating table and go wild with a cattle prod. He's just trying to graduate. Preferably with all his teeth.

"Valerie is acting just like you did freshman year," Sam hisses. "Right after the you-know-what."

Danny barks laughter. "Yeah, right."

Sam and Tucker remain stone-cold serious. Worse, they look worried.

They wouldn't suggest something so crazy without a lot of thought put into it.

Fuck.

It's another two days before Danny gets a good—"good"—opportunity to talk to Valerie one-on-one. During that time he sees first-hand no less than 37 incidents of irrefutable acts of half-ghost-hood. How nobody else—including that ass, Wes!—has caught on yet is nothing short of a miracle. Valerie cut ties with every other person in their graduating class after some disastrous party embarrassment Danny never cared enough to find out the details of secondhand. She's kept her head down and her teeth bared at anybody who’s tried to meet her halfway, and it seems everyone's accepted the fact that Valerie Gray is the second worst delinquent in the entire school.

(The first is him, naturally.)

He corners her three minutes before the bell to end lunch will ring. He's got calculus next—an unexpected good turn in his life that still makes him giggle every time he actually has time to do his homework—and she's got English. They can't afford to skip either class, but hey, you only half-die once, right?

She scowls up at him, twitching her head out of a habit she's not yet broken. She only shaved her head a month ago. He's still reeling over how good she looks, and also how much it makes her look like the awesome older Valerie from the horrible future where he and Vlad ghost-melded and murdered a dismayingly large number of humans. If that future is still somehow lingering out there in the tangled fabric of spacetime like a bad hangnail, he’s pretty sure that Valerie died, fullstop.

He’d like it if he could do something to help this Valerie not die, fullstop.

She scowls up at him harder. "What do you want?"

He allows himself another couple seconds to just—bask. Yes, she's hot as hell, and if they were both normal humans she could easily break him over her knee like a fistful of kindling. He's not yet gotten an inch of the Fenton width. He's basically all elbows, and it's now all but impossible to find shoes in his size. It's great, really, just super.

Mostly though, he holds his breath and lets his ghost sense settle in a chilly, wriggly knot in his lungs. How the hell did he not realize she was the cause before now?

He smiles down at her. It becomes immediately apparent that this is the worst possible thing he could have chosen to do. He stops smiling. Somehow that's worse.

"We need to talk," he says, and immediately wants to hit himself. Has daytime television not taught him anything? That's the worst thing he could have said!

"I don't think so," she says, and tries to edge past him. He catches her elbow—

—and she's got him smashed up against a classroom door before he can even blink.

"Uh," they say at the same time. He feels one of her hands go ice cube cold against his skin. Since it's him and not a normal person, it's far more likely her hand just dropped to some negative three-digit temperature. If he were human, he'd be at risk for frostbite. As he's not, it's more like a refreshing breeze. He swears he even gets a whiff of the Ghost Zone off of her; like a hard shock of static on his tongue in a midnight snowfall. It's... nice. Is that what he smell-feels like?

Hmm. Distracting himself. Best to stop doing that.

She realizes after too long a beat of awkward silence that one of her arms has gone full-ghostly, and springs back with a half-hysterical yelp. He turns around to look at her again, rolling his shoulder out of a long habit of pretending that Dash trying to rough him up actually feels like anything. She looks—

Well. Kind of like some kind of frazzled toy dog that's had to deal with way too many idiot humans manhandling her, and like she's pissed that all the finger-biting she's tried has only gotten her a bunch of braindead cooing. Danny finds himself sympathizing, and also like maybe he needs to vent to somebody else aside from Cujo on their 3 a.m. Thursday walkies. He considers several facial expressions he could make at her, dismisses all of them, and settles on upping the grimacing and shoulder-rolling. It sort of works? She looks guilty, which is honestly one of the better reactions she could be leveling at him right now.

"We really do need to talk, actually," he says, feigning an apologetic tone while pretending very hard he hasn’t noticed her left arm suddenly stops at the elbow.

"Pretty sure we don't," she retorts.

He makes a show of rolling his eyes, and then a show of looking pointedly at her invisible arm. She looks down at herself, does a double-take, yelps again, and hides both of her arms behind her back as she makes several stammering attempts at a believable excuse. Danny winces, torn between sympathy and secondhand embarrassment. Sam was right; this is exactly how he stumbled his way through the first six months of figuring out his powers. At least he had the benefit of a couple of friends and eventually Jazz too to help cover his tracks. Valerie's on her own. She's going to get found out at this rate, and accidentally or not she will drag him and Vlad down with her.

"It's okay," he says calmly.

"Everything's fine I don't know what you're talking about!"

He looks at her, unimpressed, until she looks appropriately embarrassed. "Let's try this again," he says, and puts both hands up to stall when she goes to retort. "Please?"

She purses her lips, huffing through her nose, but nods. Good enough.

"You're not okay," he tells her. "You're freaking out because something crazy happened to you, and you don't have anybody to turn to for answers without risking everything. You think you're a monster, or that you're dead, or you're dying, or some shitty combination of all of the above. You're scared because you can't control what's happening, and you're scared because you know you're gonna get caught at this rate, and you're scared because you know exactly what the GIW does to the ecto-entities it manages to get its hands on, because you're the reason half the ghosts that frequent Amity Park have done time in a GIW containment cell. Right?"

Valerie stares.

She keeps staring.

Eventually her mouth starts making some feeble attempt at protest.

A while after that she musters up the stamina to stammer out, "W-whahaaat are you talking about? I think you've got—ha! The wrong idea! Yeah! I bet you're thinking I'm, uh. Um. Possessed! Yes! I'm definitely possessed! You caught me, oh fuck, I'm definitely just another one of Walker's goons—nobody important though! No nefarious schemes going on either, honest! I just, uh, wanted to take a human… out for a spin? Yes, that’s what I’m doing. You definitely don't need to say anything to your parents—"

"Valerie," he says.

Her mouth snaps shut so hard her teeth click. She looks terrified, furious, and miserable all at once. She looks like she knows she's cornered, caught red-handed, and like she fully expects Danny to rat her out. Does she really think so little of him?

He winces inwardly. Of course she does. She's kept him at arm's length since freshman year because he never owned up the truth to her. She's been protecting him from himself all this time by staying away. She only knows the front he puts on for everybody else.

The bell rings. In a matter of seconds this hallway is going to be packed with students, and this is not a conversation to risk anyone overhearing. He looks around. Their options are to either continue this wedged in a janitor's closet (she'd probably shoot him), ghost her up to the roof (she'd definitely shoot him) or duck into a classroom. Luck's on his side for once. He'd cornered her just outside the wreckage of the wood shop; it's not going to be fit to teach in until after they graduate, and even the other, regular delinquents know better than to hang out anywhere with that much Fenton ectobiological hazard caution tape.

He nods toward the door. "Please?"

She looks like she'd much rather go toe-to-tail with Desiree, but the sound of a crowd surging their way decides for her. She bolts for the door, Danny at her heels, and they're in and hidden out of sight before anyone could see them go. He watches through a small hole in a stretch of opaque plastic sheeting, patiently waiting for the rest of the school to disperse into their various classrooms. There're too many holes in the wood shop's walls to risk talking even with all the noise out there.

Eventually the hall outside quiets. The late bell rings. It's about as safe as it'll ever get to have this talk.

"I can explain," she begins, her voice quiet and shaken.

"You don't have to," he says, and turns on the scary eyes as he faces her.

Three years of fighting nightmare monsters hasn't done Valerie the right kind of favors either. A metal cube materializes over her shoulder and flares brightly as it powers up a shot. She in turn steps smoothly into a defensive stance, light humming up and down her as she... doesn't pull her ghost-fighting suit out of the spectral hammerspace it sloughs off to whenever she doesn't need it. He blinks. He looks at the cube properly once it becomes clear she isn't going to shoot him. The light coming off it isn't pink anymore, but the same ghost-green as his own powers.

"Explain," she growls.

Probably not a good time for jokes. He keeps his serious face on, scary eyes and all. "I was in an accident freshman year. My parents couldn't get their ghost portal to work. They got lax about not letting Jazz and I down there unsupervised. I took Sam and Tucker down there one afternoon while they were out. One thing led to another, and I accidentally got their portal to work. While I was standing inside it."

She winces. Not like Jazz or Wes did when he stammered out the story to them just so they'd stop asking. Not in sympathy as they tried to imagine what that would have felt like and falling a thousand miles short (not that he ever said so). She gives him the same look he's seen in the mirror every time a bad dream of that day grabs him by the throat and shocks him awake. She knows.

"Don't shoot," he jokes weakly, and reaches for that cold spark that shares the same illogical, impossible space as his heart.

Another three cubes appear in a neat arc over her head when he changes, not that he blames her. She's just found out she dated her sworn enemy once upon a time. He's definitely surprised she doesn't shoot. She does go a bit deer in the headlights again, but more like a ghost deer that's just as likely to shoot lasers as it might bolt into traffic. "I," she tries. "You. You're. The whole goddamn time?!"

"Okay," he says. "Point of order. Cujo really wasn't my dog yet when I got your dad fired. That was an accident and I'm still very, very sorry about that."

Her eyes go ghost-red. "You wanna try that again?"

He sucks air in through his teeth, sighs out another blue wisp. She's doing it too. Has been the whole conversation actually, and plenty of other times before. He wonders if she's figured out what it means yet. He adds it to the list he's mentally compiling, keeps his hands up, and starts running his mouth as contritely as he can.

The sun's almost set by the time Danny's really, truly, fully convinced Valerie not to turn him into the half-ghost equivalent of Swiss cheese. He's so hungry he feels like he's nursing a gut wound, but he thinks it's the smart choice to not suggest talking all of this out over dinner. It's not like his allowance (and black hole of an appetite) would pay for more than clearing out the dollar menu at Jack-in-the-Box, and no way is he stupid enough to suggest Valerie pay. So he remains perched on one of the few remaining tables left in the wood shop, still in Phantom mode mostly to watch Valerie grind her teeth. She's sitting cross-legged on another table, cubes and scary eyes gone. She's reached the fun sort of balance between bone-tired exhaustion and impotent frustration with no good outlet that isn't the kind of violence that will draw a lot of unwanted attention. She sits there and stews awhile, turning over everything he's told her.

He pulls out his phone—tossing her a wry grin when she flinches—and lets her stew. He shoots out a "safe, taking longer than a thought it would" into the group chat he's got with Sam, Tucker, and Jazz. Tucker lets him know he's rooting for him, and also they handled the Box Ghost's usual afternoon showing with a game of checkers, and Wulf's in town avoiding Walker again. Sam reminds him to work on his book report if Valerie doesn't skin him alive first. He shoots back a neutral affirmative to them both, then pulls up Bubble Blaster to kill time until Valerie feels like talking—

"It was two weeks ago," she starts.

Danny resists the urge to sigh and pockets his phone again. Well, he mimes pocketing his phone. It sort of phases into that weird imaginary skin between his halves with a buzz of protest. When he changes back it'll be in his back right pocket, fully charged.

"Mister Masters," she pauses to make this really complicated grimace, like she'd sort of prefer calling Vlad something like Captain Fuckface but she's too polite to do it aloud. Danny makes a mental note to call Vlad exactly that the next time they run into each other. The fruitloop'll make a hilarious noise, he just knows it. "Mister Masters sent me info on another job. He told me some of his employees at Axion Labs had reported some ghost sightings, and my dad had mentioned seeing some weird stuff too, so. So I snuck out and went to go check it out. It didn't sound like anything bad, just. Y'know. Another ghost."

Two weeks ago her tone would have been one of complete, dismissive disgust. Two weeks ago she was still human though. Danny stays quiet, which is probably the smart thing to do.

"There was something on my radar when I got there. I thought it was gonna be you, honestly—" She glares, a flicker of red coloring her eyes. He shrugs and gives her a charming grin that's all, Who, me? She doesn't buy it for a second, not that he expected her too. Two weeks ago Vlad was being a real prick though, setting all sorts of nasty ghoulies he'd Frankenstein'd in his super gross secret lab loose in the downtown area. Danny's honestly not sure if he got any sleep for like, four straight days. There was a lot of doctored coffee involved, by which he means the kind of coffee a regular human couldn't drink without requiring a fairly immediate trip to the ER.

(Tucker Foley tested.)

"Most of the reports were from some department I've never heard my dad talk about, and it's all three levels underground. If Technus hadn't juiced my suit up again I don't think I could've gotten down there—"

That's an alarm bell Danny super doesn't like the sound of. "Again?"

She waves her hand dismissively that's all, So last year, honey, try and keep up. "Doesn't matter. Point is, I got down there, and it—well. It looked like the Fen—uh. Your parents' lab. Kind of identical, actually. In a kinda creepy way."

Yeah, that's Vlad all over. Kinda creepy and not all that original. Oh well. He raises his eyebrows pointedly.

"Uh. Well, my radar went crazy down there, but I still couldn't get a real bead on anything. So I went poking around and found the framework of this—well, portal. I didn't realize it was a portal though, since it didn't look like the one in your parents' lab. It was standing on its own in the middle of the room, covered in cables—"

"Ours is a mess too," he points out. "You can't tell unless it's off though. I'm not really sure where all those cables and weird hunks of tech go while it's on...."

She gives him a look like she's regretting not shooting him earlier. He does the smart thing by not pointing out that shooting him is still very much on the table, and that if history's anything to go by she's a huge fan of shooting him. He can't help but think that opinion might, just possibly, if he's very lucky, have changed in the last couple of hours. Fingers crossed? Those cube cannon things hurt like a bitch.

"I was looking around that thing because it was freaking my radar out when Plas—Mister Masters showed up."

He reels a bit. She must've expected it, because it's her turn to raise her eyebrows pointedly. "Wait," he says, holding his hands up in a time out T. "Wait a minute. You knew he's Plasmius? The whole goddamn time?!"

"No," she snaps. "Only after Danielle."

"That's nearly the whole goddamn time. What the hell, he's been lording you over me as a reason not to blab the truth for years. For fuck's sake, Valerie—"

"You wanna maybe shut up and let me finish, ghost kid?"

He scowls. She scowls back, plus scary eyes. He's pretty sure she's not doing it intentionally, so the effect's not as impressive as it could be. Red continues to be a great color for her though, not that he's dumb enough to say that.

"Plasmius showed up, blasted me into the portal, and hit the switch before I could do anything," she bites out, hunching in on herself like she's wishing the ground would swallow her whole—aaaand there she goes, sinking through the table. He clears his throat loudly, she realizes what's going on and ends up flailing around like an idiot for a few seconds until her body gets physical enough to stay put.

"Sam was right," he muses. "This is entertaining."

"Fuck you," she snaps without much venom. Mostly she sounds tired.

He sighs, hating himself a little for reasons he's not gonna explore right now. He's too hungry for introspection. "Did he evil-monologue why he did that to you?"

"A little. I was kinda out of it, after." She grimaces, gesturing at herself. "I didn't catch all of it. Something about being a distraction for you, though I didn't know that he meant you at the time."

"Oh goodie, this evil plot has layers, and ruining your life is apparently a fucking footnote." He scrubs his face with both hands and changes back into his plain Jane self. Valerie twitches badly, eyes flashing red and a fun eye-watering white shimmer shivering up her whole body. Huh. "Hey, have you tried changing back since that asshat zapped you?"

"Of course not," she hisses, looking at him like he just suggested she go streaking through the administration office. "I'm trying to keep a low profile while I figure out a way to fix what he did to me."

Ah, hell.

"I'm sorry," seems the smart thing to start with. He hops off the table, hands up where she can see them as he approaches her. He takes a risk at reaching for her hands. She surprises him again by continuing to not shoot him. "I'm really, really sorry. But there's no fixing this. You just get—better at being this." He squeezes a little when she starts shaking her head and pulling away, amping up the 'I'm sorry for your loss' face he's had to get way too good at. Superhero, he ain't. "I'm serious. Vlad's been like me—like us—since like, '85 or whenever he got zapped by a proto-portal, and he got really sick after."

Her eyes go big and laser pointer red again. "S-sick?"

"Ecto-acne. Ever hear of it?" She shakes her head. "You'll probably be okay, if Axion's portal is based on my parents' portal, or even Vlad's."

"He has a portal?"

"In Wisconsin," he confirms grimly. "He's been trying to build a second one ever since he moved here, but I kept messing with him. I didn't think to check the basements of any of his evil companies."

"Axion Labs isn't evil," she retorts instead of doing the sensible thing and blaming him outright for the shit she’s mired in for keeps.

He raises an eyebrow. "Sure. And Invis-o-Bill really is hellbent on establishing a ghost-human empire capital in Amity fucking Park."

She winces.

"Wait. You didn't actually believe that, did you?"

She winces harder.

"Ohhhh Valerie," he sighs, dropping her hands to melodramatically sag against another table. "I'm wounded. Honestly, truthfully, hurt that you'd think so highly of fucking Invis-o-Bill. Haven't you been paying attention to the shit the gossip mags shill about me? I'm either a ghost blob with delusions of grandeur in a skinsuit or the ostracized son of Pariah Dark and Desiree. You don't think my evil ghost parents have been around enough to teach me how to be a good evil emperor, do you?"

She's trying—and failing—not to laugh. "Shut up. How was I supposed to know what to believe, huh? None of the ghosts ever say shit about you."

"Yeah, 'cause they're cool with keeping my secret!"

She presses forward to jab a finger in his chest. She's still kind of flicker-y at the edges, like she hasn't quite decided she isn't going to go full ghost hunter on him, so it sort of feels like another hard burst of static. Goosebumps break out all down his skin; it's all he can do not to shiver. "What's with that, anyway? Most of 'em are so hellbent on destroying you for stopping them again and again, but none of them have ever come blabbing your big life-ruining secret to me or your parents!"

He shrugs. "Honestly? I don't think it's ever occurred to any of them. I'm pretty sure Skulker's the only one who knows like, for sure that Vlad's the same as me, and that's only 'cuz he likes to take jobs from Vlad now and then. The others?" Another, more expansive shrug as he slides sideways out of her range. So she makes him uneasy. What about it? She's only shot him point blank like, five hundred times if she's done it once. He'd really like to get out of this whole situation without any new burns to hide.

"Huh," she says. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. It's not—I dunno. I think it'd be like cheating for most of 'em to go blabbing to some humans or even Vlad. They wanna take me down, sure, but they wanna do it on their own steam. I'm definitely not complaining."

"Course you're not, because you are ludicrously overpowered compared to most of the ghosts out there itching for a little world domination."

He grins down at her, big and sloppy. "Hey, give it some time and you'll be OP as fuck too."

She reacts to that little nugget of wisdom just like he expected her to; retreating halfway across the room and shrinking in on herself like she's dearly wishing for a bit of time travel to undo what Vlad did to her on a selfish whim. Well. A conversation with Clockwork is an option still on the table. He'll give her a few more days of adjustment before suggesting a fun little jaunt into the Ghost Zone. He's honestly not sure if Clockwork and her are properly acquainted. That should be good for a laugh if nothing else.

"Hey," he says companionably. "I mean it. You're gonna be okay."

She scoffs. He pretends not to hear the dampness to it. "Oh, sure. So long as I do exactly what you say, right?"

"This isn't blackmail," he says, injecting as much calm as he can to his voice. "Honest. I mean, I won't lie and pretend I'm not hoping you listen to me. If you get found out it's both of our necks on the chopping block. Sure, I'll make sure Vlad takes the fall too, so that's some nice revenge wrapped with a bow, but it's not like we'd be around to really appreciate it, y'know?"

She makes another, slightly damper noise. He considers the risk of hugging her against the risk of walking away with all his parts where they ought to be, and he decides the smart thing is to stay put and pretend right along with her that she's definitely not crying.

"I want to help you, Valerie. I've been where you're at. I know how much it sucks. And I had Sam and Tucker helping me while I tried to figure it all out. You... you need somebody to help you. Trust me on this much at least, okay? This isn't something you can do alone."

Her various damp noises evolve into an outright sob. "Fuck."

Yeah. That about sums it up.

"Fuck," she hisses out again, pawing roughly at her face. "This. I didn't want—all this time and you never—I coulda killed you but you didn't—and now I'm—!"

Okay. Yeah. Superheroes don't leave anybody to cry so miserably on their own. He's hardy. Even if she shoots him he can hang out, make sure she's okay to get home on her own. And they both skipped their last two classes. He ought to go rummage around their teachers' desks and try to figure out what tonight's homework is. She's got every reason to burn her textbooks and scream fuck it at the moon (Danny's sophomore year was a personal low point), and it's just as likely Skulker will pull some new scheme to try and skin him tonight as any other school night, but it's the principle of the thing. They're both just trying to graduate at this point, and they're so close.

It might seem so incredibly, completely stupid, to care about graduating with all the other bullshit in their lives. Most days, it is stupid to care. But there are some days that stupid, pointless piece of paper is the only reason Danny chooses to get out of bed. He chooses to remember that he's still human enough for human consequences. He needs that diploma to get into college, and he needs to get into college so he can earn his bachelor's, and he needs to be stable enough to earn his pilot's license, and then somehow net 1,000 hours as pilot-in-command in a fucking jet, and on and on and on, because there's still this stupid, stupid, stupid little voice in his head that won't shut up about how cool it'd be to actually manage to become an astronaut despite—

—everything.

He wants to ask what Valerie wanted to be when she grew up, but that's... not now. That's a conversation for later, if he's lucky enough that she'll trust him with that little, foolish dream every kid clings to even when they're loudly proclaiming how stupid it is. Everybody grows up and realizes how stupid the dream jobs they wanted when they were kids was; it's the real dreamers that grit their teeth and keep working despite—

—everything.

He takes the risk, the leap of faith. He closes the distance between them and plays a pattern across her shoulder to warn her he's coming in for a hug. No cubes or guns or accidental ecto-rays materialize to blast him into next week, so he calls it a win and finishes the deed. She's all hunched shoulders and hard fingers knotted in his shirt, hot tears and probably some snot at war with how neutrally temperature-wise the rest of her feels. Everybody else—everybody human—feels hot as a sunburn if he gets too close. Ghosts are still too cold, though thanks to his handy-dandy ice powers none of them are ever cold enough to hurt like humans do.

Here and now, hugging Valerie and whispering soft, pointless bullshit into her frizzy hair is the closest to human he's felt in—

—in too long.

"I'm sorry," she says.

"Don't be," he replies, instead of Me too.

"Thank you," she says.

"Nothin' to thank me for," he replies, instead of You should be blaming me for this.

"I'm scared," she says.

"It's going to be okay," he replies, and means it.

It's almost nine by the time he makes it to Sam's house, and he's so hungry he tunnel visions twice on the flight over. Lucky him, his friends and secret keepers know how bullshit his anatomy is, and there's a veritable buffet awaiting him when he gets there. Luckier him, his friends and secret keepers know better than to try and hold a Serious Conversation when he's like this, and leave him alone for the better part of 20 minutes before they both start loudly clearing their throats.

He slows his flawless imitation of a combine harvester long enough to muster a, "Hngh?"

Sam and Tucker waste precious moments he could be upping his calorie count with another psychic conversation that they're clearly both enjoying. He scowls, for all the good it'll do him.

"How'd it go?" Sam asks.

"Well," he says, setting his fork down to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. Manners, schmmaners. "She didn't shoot me."

"Damn it," Tucker says loudly, and pulls out his phone.

"Seriously?" Danny asks.

"He owes Jazz twenty bucks," Same explains as Tucker begins a furiously-typed text. Danny suppresses the urge to shudder. Something about the haptic feedback on cell phones really sets him on edge. He genuinely doesn't know if it's a pet peeve or a ghost thing. Either way he always has to squash the insane urge to pitch Tucker's phone at the nearest brick wall, and right now that is an honest struggle.

"Seriously?" He repeats. "You bet against me?"

Tucker pauses long enough to level an incredulous glare at him. "Dude."

...yeah, okay. That's fair. Danny would've bet against himself too, if he'd known to.

"Rude," he says anyway, on principle.

Sam and Tucker both make a huge show of rolling their eyes, but at least Sam pushes another three slices of pizza in his direction. They even ordered in, so there's actual meat and cheese on it. He has the best friends a guy could ask for, even if Tucker is an ass nine times out of ten. Serves him right to lose 20 bucks, voting against him against his sister of all people.

"Details," Sam demands. "How's she doing, what happened, is she gonna stop trying to kill you, et cetera."

"Vlad happened," he manages through half a slice of pizza. Sam and Tucker both wince; Tucker hard enough he actually drops his phone.

"Fuck," Tucker hisses. "Why?"

"Dunno yet. And I dunno about you, but figuring out his latest scheme has definitely become number one on my honey do list."

They both nod. Tucker's the one to ask the important follow up. "And Valerie? How's she doing?"

He makes a seesaw motion with one hand. "Again, gotta stress the whole 'didn't shoot me' thing." He grins real sleazily while Tucker groans. "She's not great though. I foresee the next like, two months helping her out taking priority over all the usual ghost bullshit. Short of like, apocalyptic ghost attacks, of course."

"Fair," Sam and Tucker both say. Sam gives him a pointed capital L Look, going so far as to pull his plate a few inches away so he can better direct his instinctive growl at her. "She's not gonna rat, is she?"

"No," comes out more snarl-y than he means it to, but—pizza. Sam takes him at face value at least, and gives him his plate back, with an extra slice of meat lover's for good behavior. She's his favorite.

"We're gonna co-op," he adds, and pretends not to notice the Extraordinarily Concerned Psychic Look Sam and Tucker share over that bit of news. Whatever. They can stress over the idea of Valerie being included in their group. Him? He's gonna polish off the rest of this pizza, pull his one (1) notebook and one (1) pencil out of his bag, and he's going to get as much of a headstart on his homework before patrol as he can. If he actually manages to finish his two pages of grammar problems he's going to call it a great day. Anything else? Well, that's gravy so far as he's concerned.

He grins to himself a little, thinking of Valerie's new phone number burning a hole in his pocket. If anything toothsome decides to show up tonight he got the okay to text her. And honestly? For all that she's in the same bullshit hell as he, Vlad, and Elle are....

Well. It's probably shitty of him, but it's still nice to have an ally and friend in this half-ghost bullshit hell.

#danny phantom #my writing #valerie gray #gray ghost #phic phight 2020

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darks-ink · 4 years

Text

Darkness - Ectoberweek 2020

Yes I wrote this one because I just really wanted to write Vlad and Danny meeting in Antonym-verse, shh. Don’t say anything.

[first part]

Rating: Gen Warnings: - Genre: Supernatural Words: 2,147 Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Sequel

[AO3] [FFN]

---

“Well,” Danny said, humming thoughtfully.

“Well,” the other person agreed, his bright red eyes absurdly visible in the dark room they were in.

Since the man didn’t seem inclined to talk, Danny didn’t bother to, either. Instead he started peering around, blinking his own vivid green eyes. Even though his retained night vision usually did him little good, he was glad to have it, now. He highly doubted ordinary humans would’ve been able to see in the pitch black they were in.

Unfortunately, the room did not include any hints as to where he was, nor why he was here.

“You’re Danny, aren’t you?” the man suddenly asked, his red eyes narrowed. “The Fenton’s adopted son?”

Danny hummed. He wasn’t sure if he was legally adopted, the human world had so much complicated paperwork, but they certainly seemed intent on counting him as their son. “Yeah,” he finally agreed, figuring he should vocalize. “But I don’t think I know you. Do I?”

The man visibly considered that, weighing options against each other. Finally he offered a hand to Danny. “Vlad.”

“Well, you already know my name, obviously.” Danny shot him a grin as he took the hand and shook it. “But I’m Danny.”

“And you’re half-ghost,” Vlad said, a strange emphasis on the ‘half-ghost’. “Aren’t you?”

“Yeah, well, so are you,” Danny pointed out with a shrug. “I think that the more pressing questions are “where are we?” and “how did we get here?”, don’t you?”

Vlad hummed at that, expression somewhere between pleased and aggravated. Someone was digging for information, huh? “Yes, I suppose you’re right. You don’t know either, then?”

“Nope,” he agreed easily, taking his eyes off of Vlad to look around again. The room was empty and featureless, absolutely non-distinct in how bland it was. “But! I don’t think we’re in the Ghost Zone.”

“How can you tell?”

“Not nearly enough ectoplasm in the atmosphere.” Danny leaned over to knock on the wall. “And these are solid. Humans can go through walls in the Ghost Zone.”

“You seem to know a lot about the Ghost Zone.” Vlad’s eyes narrowed once more.

“Yeah, well.” Danny paused, reconsidered. Vlad didn’t seem like a ghost, not like him. Vlad seemed like a human. If Danny could become part human as a ghost, why couldn’t a human become part ghost? “I guess I spent a good bit of time there.”

“And your parents?” Vlad pressed, cold disinterest in his voice.

Danny snorted, dismissive. “You mean my biological parents? Dunno. Can’t remember them. That’s why the Fentons took me in, y’know? Now can we please focus on getting out of wherever this is before we continue the interrogation?”

“Yes, of course,” Vlad said, graciously. Like this was anything to be gracious about. Danny bet that if he’d been in full control of his powers he could’ve beaten the other half-ghost easy. But, alas. He was still fighting to control his core, never mind use his powers properly. He would have to settle for civilized human behavior.

“Good.” Danny turned away from Vlad, walking along the wall, one hand trailing over it. The whole thing felt solid in a uniquely human way. Definitely no ghosts involved here.

The door, when Danny reached it, was no less solid. He grabbed onto the rounded doorknob and jangled it, but there was no give. Definitely locked. “Yeah, we’re not getting out this way.”

Vlad, who still hadn’t moved, the ass, hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose we will have to use our powers to leave, then. I see no cameras of any sort, do you?”

“No,” Danny admitted, releasing the door and looking around just to be sure. “I suppose you’re right. Some intangibility and invisibility should get us out.”

“Yes, indeed.” Vlad crossed his arms, waiting for a moment before arching his brow at Danny. “Well, go on then.”

“Me?” He scoffed. “It was your idea. You go first.”

The man stared at him for a moment longer, his red eyes boring straight into Danny’s, before he sighed. “Fine, then. But only because I suspect I cannot hope to out-stubborn a teenager, let alone one raised by Jack Fenton.”

Danny quirked an eyebrow at that unexpected hostility. Sure, he’d only known Jack for a month or two, but still. He seemed like a good man.

Vlad’s transformation was similar to Danny’s own. A spark of light from the chest, from the core, forming into rings which passed over the body, and shifted it from one state to the other. Admittedly Vlad’s were bizarrely black, while still giving off light, but it didn’t really matter. Not now, at least.

No, Danny was far more interested in Vlad’s ghost form. He looked rather like a typical ghost, up to and including a thematic appearance. And what an appearance. Vlad had gone full vampire on his looks, with pale blue skin, empty red eyes, pointed ears and sharp fangs. His hair, black in ghost form, was swept up into gravity-defying points, and his clothing did not match the suit he’d been wearing at all.

Hell, the guy even wore a cape. What kinda person did that?

But… Vlad had gone and shifted to his ghost form, so Danny supposed he’d better follow suit. Mentally crossing his fingers that his powers would hold—his core was still settling back into proper stability after his accident—he called his core to the forefront of his existence. Light flashed as he, too, transformed into a ghost.

Vlad quirked an eyebrow at him, judgment heavy in the air. “A jumpsuit, boy, really? You are certainly a Fenton, aren’t you?”

“It’s Phantom, actually,” Danny correctly idly. “The jumpsuit is just a coincidence.” He lifted up from the floor, trying to judge how well his core was doing that day. “Now come on, I don’t have all day.”

“And you think I do?” Vlad scoffed, but started floating as well. “I will go first. I expect I will be more likely to recognize where we are than you.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong, but he didn’t have to be so haughty about it. “Sure, knock yourself out.” Danny swept out an arm in a wide arc to underline the statement, throwing in a sarcastic bow as well.

The gesture clearly wasn’t lost on Vlad, but he apparently made the choice to ignore it, flying towards one of the walls and flickering invisible before he hit it. With a roll of his eyes, Danny followed, focusing his senses on the feel of Vlad’s core so he could track the man while invisible.

Outside it was… also dark, admittedly, but not as hopelessly pitch-black as inside. A glance upwards confirmed that it was a regular dark—stars barely visible due to a nearby city, and the new moon that was supposed to come that night.

Vlad was still nearby, although invisible, so Danny let himself drift over. “Well,” he said when he was close enough, keeping his voice low since they were still invisible. “I don’t think we missed much time. The moon phase is correct.”

“Hm. And what do you know of where we are?” Vlad asked, a tone of curiosity layered under the smarminess of his voice. “Or have you spent all your time looking up?”

“I thought you were going to focus on our location?” Danny shook his head, realized Vlad couldn’t see, then decided to look around anyway.

And, huh.

“Well, at least we’re not far from home,” he said, feebly.

They were on the outskirts of Amity Park.

“You aren’t, no.” Vlad huffed, a sound of displeasure. “Unlike you, however, I live in Wisconsin.”

Cool. That meant very little to Danny. He was pretty sure that it was a state in the country he was living in, but where, or how far away it was? Absolutely meaningless.

“Okay, well… If you know the Fentons you can probably stay over?” He let his invisibility drop, since the strain on his core was rather unnecessary. The people of Amity Park didn’t look up enough to care about ghosts in the sky. “And if you didn’t… Well, they probably would let you stay over anyway. They’d love to talk more about your half-ghost-ness.”

“Joy,” Vlad muttered, and he could not possibly have put more distaste in the word. “And you do not care to stay invisible, then?”

“I can’t keep it up forever, dude.” Danny shrugged, letting his legs blend away into a tail as he drifted in the direction towards home. “Besides, I know Amity Park. It’s a safe place to fly without invisibility, trust me.”

Vlad scoffed, but dropped his invisibility as well. “Very well, then. Lead on.”

Danny nodded back, then shifted into proper flight, making sure to keep his speed fairly low. As annoying as it was to have to hold back, he knew he couldn’t make full use of his powers, not while his core was still recovering from the transition. One day, hopefully, he’d get back to his prior strength.

Still, that did make him wonder. It definitely seemed like Vlad was a human who’d become half-ghost. How did that work, compared to Danny himself? How strong was Vlad? Did he need to wait for his core to mature the usual way? That almost seemed easier to Danny than what he was going through. A slow progressive growth, rather than having all these powers and not having the power to use them.

And Vlad had conveniently skipped around explaining how he knew the Fentons, too. Honestly, he was kind of giving Danny the creeps. Something about his behavior was just… off. Weird.

Or maybe that was just how slimy he was, how haughty, how superior. Yugh.

Vlad didn’t try talking to him while they were flying to FentonWorks, although he did raise a questioning eyebrow at the neon sign when they landed behind it.

“The glow of the sign will hide our light,” Danny explained with a shrug. He’d been told by Jazz that the sign was an oddity among humans, but he didn’t think it was that weird. “We can enter the house through the door up here.”

“Why not phase inside?” Vlad asked, crossing his arms. “That way no one will see us.”

“True. But it’s also rude to go inside without announcing yourself.” Danny grinned at Vlad, displaying his own sharp teeth, before releasing his core to shift back to human form. The flashing light was barely visible beyond the glow of the sign. “Coming, Vlad?”

The other half-ghost sighed, making a motion like rolling his eyes—despite the fact that they were empty in his ghost form—but transformed back into human form as well. “I would’ve thought that using ghost powers meant we were no longer following human sensibilities, but it’s your house.”

Human sensibilities? What, has no one ever told this guy the rules of lairs in the Ghost Zone? Yikes. “You do realize that it’s a thing in the Ghost Zone too, right? Not randomly wandering into people’s lairs?”

“And how would you know?” Vlad sneered back, his eyes dark for the first time since Danny had met him. “You’re what, fourteen? And clearly new to being half-ghost, too.”

“Yeah!” Danny snapped, feeling his core kick up a notch. He was so tired of this asshole. “Yeah, I’m new to being half-ghost! Because I was a full ghost before this!”

He leaned in closer to Vlad, seeing the reflection of his glowing eyes in Vlad’s. “Just because you think you’re a big deal doesn’t mean you are. You don’t know shit, Vlad.”

Satisfied that he’d gotten his point across, Danny whirled around, pulling open the door and climbing down the stairs. After a moment, he heard Vlad follow.

“You are… a ghost turned half-human?” Vlad asked, quietly. “Not the reverse?”

“Not like you, no,” Danny confirmed, opening the door to the upper floor hallway. “But the Fentons will still want to talk to you.”

“No.” Vlad stopped before crossing the door. Danny, too, stopped, turning around to face Vlad again. “No, I don’t think that that’s going to happen.”

“What?”

“I thought I had found someone like me. For that, I was willing to put up with Jack Fenton, at least for the moment. But now?” Vlad scoffed, a derisive sound. “For a poor ghostly imitation? No, certainly not. Goodbye, Phantom.”

With that, Vlad whirled around, vanishing from sight. Danny could still track his core—apparently Vlad had shifted forms almost immediately—but he was, in fact, leaving.

“Well. That just happened,” Danny muttered to himself as Vlad left the premises entirely. “Wonder what the chances are that the Fentons know more than one guy named Vlad.”

He shrugged to himself, continuing down to the living room, where his family waited. Guess he had some more mysteries to solve now.

Like that room. What the fuck was up with that?

#danny phantom #ectoberweek2020 #ectoberweek 2020 #dp fanfic #phanfic #danny fenton #vlad masters #whoo i finished 6 out of 7 fics for this event!#they're all kinda short but hush that's good #i wanted to stop writing monstrous one-shots that never ended #dark writes

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flutteringdreams-matw · 3 years

Text

Out of Time (12)

First/Last Read on AO3 Word Count: 6922 Previously: Danny and Sam narrowly escape. After a brief recovery Danny heads back to the city to lure Dan back out. Now: Fight! Angst! Teamwork! Duplicates! Link to the next chapter will be in the replies once posted. As always - please let me know what you think!

Valerie shot wildly, dodging the green blasts from the ghost gracefully in the air. He snarled menacingly, turning into a puff of green smoke to avoid it. Wasting no time, she brought out three cubes around her and charged the cannons for when he reappeared. "Come out, spook!" she yelled, eyes darting around. She heard him chuckle from somewhere behind her.

"Even in this timeline, you still have the same insults," Dan taunted. He became visible, launching a large ecto-blast at the back of her head. One of the cubes turned, blocking the blast with one of their own. "What's this?" his eyes narrowed as Valerie turned, smirking.

"Don't underestimate me," she threatened. The other two cubes discharged, sending two blasts of pink toward him. Dan put up a lazy shield as they hit it.

"Never would Valerie," he replied with a slimy smile. "Though even with your new tricks, you're still no match for me."

Valerie growled, taking out her ecto-launcher and took aim. "Maybe," she conceded, "but what about her?!"

Dan looked up, enraged as he saw a small ghost, grinning as she held his cape. "Hi there!" she said cheerily. She moved, dragging him with her as she threw him toward a rooftop. Valerie followed his trajectory and fired, hitting him square in the chest and sent him crashing downward. Dani flew next to Valerie, smiling with her arms crossed. "Capes - too easy."

Valerie chuckled at her confidence. "He's no pushover though," she warned, looking at her wrist at what was left in her arsenal. "I'm almost out of grenades and he's still not staying down."

Dani frowned, looking down toward the rooftop where the ghost landed. "Who is he anyway?" she asked out loud. "He has Danny's logo on his chest, but I've never seen him before."

Valerie raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Isn't that some family trait? Like a crest or whatever?"

The young ghost didn't have a chance to answer, with a roar Dan shot upward and shot three strong ecto-blasts toward the pair. Dani flew in front of Valerie, putting up a shield as the latter starter to fire small rays. Dan dodged them with ease, flying until he was above the girls and inhaled.

Dani's eyes widened and quickly pushed Valerie to the side, darting in the other direction as Dan released the sonic waves of his Ghostly Wail. Both girls covered their ears as they dodged, watching as the attack demolished some buildings beneath them. As Valerie flew back to Dani's side, astonished, Dan turned around, red eyes narrowing at the two ghost fighters.

"Who are you?" Danielle demanded, green eyes glowing.

Dan crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "I should be asking you that question. I definitely don't remember a younger Phantom in my timeline." He sneered at her. "Let me guess - one of the Cheesehead's pet projects?" Danielle growled in response as his smile grew.

Valerie charged her hand blaster, aiming it directly at the ghost. "Answer the question - I'm more than happy to shoot you all the way back to the Ghost Zone."

Dan laughed. "Really? Don't recognize me?" He threw his out dramatically. "You'd think accusing me of ruining your life everyday for - what? - two years would imprint my face into your mind."

Regardless of what you think I am…. Dan is much, much worse.

Valerie's eyes widened as Phantom's words came back to her. "Phantom?" she asked.

Danielle's eyes glowed neon. "Liar!" she screamed. "You're not Danny!"

Dan laughed again. "True!" he goaded. "Not anymore. The Danny Phantom you know is somewhere, judging from the broken shield. It's only a matter of time before that goes - he's beaten. Now all that's left is-" a large pink blast hit him from the side, cutting off his speech with a yell.

"I always told you to grow up Daniel," Vlad taunted as he entered this battle. "I never meant it to be so literal."

Dan held his side, glaring darkly as Vlad floated over to the girls. "Wow, he called you. He must be desperate."

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Please, I've been in this town for months now. Can't have you ruining all my hard work." Red eyes turned briefly to the two girls beside him. "Truce?"

Danielle scoffed, looking away. Valerie sighed reluctantly. "For now." Vlad nodded and turned back toward the evil ghost.

Dan just smirked. "You're kidding me right?" His hands lit aflame as he charged at his three foes, all dodging quickly and on the attack. Danielle's feet lit up green, sending a wave of ecto-energy toward Dan with a strong kick. It hit him dead on, but he was unfazed, flying at the girl with surprising speed. Vlad tackled him, both ghosts exchanging blows evenly. Valerie charged in, hitting Dan with the front of her board and electrocuted him.

Dan snarled madly, creating a blast of ecto-energy outward, sending the girl spiralling away.

"Valerie!" Danielle yelled as she raced after her friend. Valerie managed to steady herself as the half-ghost reached her. Vlad sent another shot of energy toward Dan, sending him flying. He steadied himself, quickly launching himself back at the old hybrid.

Valerie took aim, trying to hit the older Phantom as Danielle flew toward her. "You okay?" she asked, floating beside the sled.

"Would be better if I could get a clean shot," Valerie shot back bitterly. She moved her bazooka in time with the fighting ghosts, attempting to hit the flame haired ghost with no avail.

Danielle let out a low whistle she watched Dan and Vlad clash, pink and green energy explode in the air. "I never thought I'd be rooting for Vlad."

Dan threw a large ecto-blast at the older hybrid, sending him flying back toward the girls. The Phantom smiled, a twisted grin on his face as he watched Vlad steady himself in the air. Red eyes looked down toward the town and then back at figures in front of him. "Pretty good," he sneered. "But what can you do to protect them?" He inhaled again, aiming for the ground before letting out a ghostly wail. Vlad quickly put up a shield, protecting the two teenagers behind him and the town. Danielle followed suit, attempting to stop any more of the city from falling apart. The wail reverberated against their shields, pushing the half-ghosts further backward.

Valerie's eyes darted from the ghosts defending her to the ground below, unsure of how to help in this situation. The attack is too strong she thought irritably, flying closer to Danielle to help steady her. The ghost girl nodded in thanks, grunting in exertion as she held the shield strong. Plasmius was pushed backwards more, feet touching Danielle's shield as he continued to hold off more of the wail. If Masters can't hold this off, how the hell are we going to beat him? Valerie frowned, looking toward the evil Phantom in hopes to get to a weak spot. The wail covered a large area - nowhere for her to get above it. A small crack appeared in Plasmius' shield, making Valerie gasp. "Don't you dare let him through!" Valerie yelled to Plasmius angrily.

"What do you think I'm doing girl!?" Plasmius retorted, pushing back against the wail. More cracks appeared on his shield.

Valerie was about to retort, but gasped as she noticed a familiar figure above them. Reluctant relief bubbled in her chest as she recognized the ghost flying towards them.

Danny flipped in the air, right foot turning almost white, and with a yell sliced through the wail with electric energy. The blast cut through quickly, knocking Dan backward with a yell in anger. Danny stopped a few feet in front of Plasmius, hovering protectively. With another yell he flung his right hand outward, creating another wave of the same white energy toward Dan. It hit true, sending the older Phantom flying further back. Danny faltered in the air, panting as he gripped his side, looking around for the next threat.

"Danny!" Danielle called, racing forward to her cousin's side. "You're okay!"

Danny grimaced, holding his side tighter as she came towards him. "More or less," he grunted. Danielle frowned worried, floating close to his head as composed himself.

Valerie floated next to Plasmius, mouth agape as she watched the two Phantoms ahead of her. She had just watched her arch-enemy single handily stop a powerful ghost who had almost taken out the whole town in its tracks with one attack. He looked dishevelled; his normal white hair was matted, jumpsuit torn revealing half healed injuries and was half covered in sickly green ectoplasm. She glanced at Plasmius, who watched emotionless before she flew ahead. "Took you long enough," she said finally with an edge in her voice.

A playful smile graced Danny's lips. "Getting worried?" he asked. "Gee- I'm touched."

Valerie scoffed. "As if, Phantom."

Vlad floated over, watching Danny closely with a frown. "That won't hold him back for long, Daniel. I take it you have a plan?"

Danny's face hardened, green eyes glancing in the direction that Dan was sent flying. "He can't reach the city," Danny told them. "We need to bait him out of town or stall him until the Fenton's Ghost Shield goes up." Danny looked briefly at Plasmius, frowning at the unasked question. "Those shadows are going to cause a lot of damage on their own - let alone if Dan goes down there. The fact he can still use the Ghostly Wail means we haven't weakened him enough."

"Why don't we just take him out?" Valerie said angrily, changing one of her empty blasters for one that was full. "It's four against one. You just blocked that damn scream power, right? We can take him."

Danny made a face, opened his mouth to retort when an angry roar echoed across the sky. Danny narrowed his eyes, watching as Dan barrelled his way back toward them. Plasmius put up a shield in front of the teens in anticipation, but Dan stopped short, glaring at his younger self.

"Still alive then," Dan snarled, red eyes glowing slightly. Danny said nothing, bristling in anger. Danielle looked between the angry ghosts with unease.

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" Danny countered.

Dan's lips curled upwards in a crude smile. "Tell me, how's our little friend doing? If you're here, then she must have-"

"You missed," Danny cut him off, green eyes glowing menacingly.

Dan's face was shocked for a moment, before he laughed darkly. His eyes looked the boy over, gaze resting on the large amount of dried ectoplasm on his suit. "Oh, I don't know about that Danny." The teen in front of him stiffened, eyes widening a fraction before schooling his features again. Danielle and Valerie moved in line with Danny as Plasmius dropped the shield. "Seems like some good came from our little game; I told you it was a matter of time before I got through your little shield."

Danny growled in response. Vlad gave the two a calculating look, trying to figure out what happened in their earlier encounter. "This is as far as you get," Danny told him, readying himself for an attack.

Dan laughed again. "Another round?" he taunted. Dan split himself into four. "Then let's up the stakes."

Danny looked to his companions as they flanked his sides. "If you have a shot," he told them quietly, "take it." Before anyone had a chance to react, Danny flew forward, right eye turning blue and arms ablaze with electricity. He collided with one of the Dan duplicates, tackling it down further to the ground with a yell.

:-=-:

Tucker swore under his breath as another section of the town became infested with Dan's shadow army. "Quadrant five!" he said sharply into the Fenton Phone. A roar from one of Frostbite's army sounded in the distance as he watched some more of the yetis leave the outer ring of FentonWorks to the affected Quadrant. "Clockwork - is there any sign of Dan?"

The Time Master looked up to the screens from the chair he currently sat in. "Above the city," he said gravely. Time had stopped again, weakening him than before.

Tucker swore again. "How about those shadows; are we keeping them at bay?"

"There's so many of them Tucker!" Jazz replied irritably. "You try blowing up evil shadows of your baby brother's ghost!"

Tucker winced. "We can do this," he said as he typed in more code into the ghost shield program. "I'm almost there." He refused to think of Danny's shield being broken. He needed to get this done to help his friend. Ethelwulf will find them. He'll be okay.

"Tucker's right" Maddie replied. "We can and will."

A terrible wailing sound came through the Fenton Phones, making Tucker wince as he threw it out of his ear. He gasped, looking up at the screens and saw Dan above the town, directing the attack downwards. He paled, about to put the phone back in his ear to warn the Fentons when a bright light cut across one of the screens. Hope bubbled in his chest as Clockwork leaned forward with wide red eyes.

"Is that…" Tucker asked hopefully. He scrambled at the console, grabbing his Fenton Phone as the wail died down and the booming voice of Jack Fenton coming through.

"Danny! It's Danny!"

Tucker let out a large breath before he laughed, listening to Mrs. Fenton and Jazz's cries of relief. "He's okay!"

They had hope again - Danny was back and he was fighting.

:-=-:

Danny threw another energy blast at Dan, ignoring the angry throb in his core. The spectre dodged, gaining speed for Danny with blazing fists. Danny's eyes widened slightly, flying upward before stopping. His hands crackled with electricity and braced as Dan ran into him. The energy exploded as they collided, both Phantoms gritting their teeth as they pushed the other. The force of the energy knocked them back, both flying back. Green met red, narrowing as they assessed each other before they both went flying toward the other.

Danny and Dan clashed violently, neither giving an inch as they flew above the city. After the fourth time, Danny's hands became blue, hitting Dan with a large ice blast and knocking him away. He snarled as he stopped in midair, glaring up at Danny and panting tiredly.

From his place above, Danny did the same, only vaguely aware of the battles around him. Danielle wasn't fairing badly; using her size and speed to move quickly around Dan's duplicate and get in a few shots. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her wrap her legs around the duplicate's neck and flipped - using her body as momentum to send the duplicate barrelling to the ground. Plasmius and the duplicate in front of him traded quips, attacking every so often with an exchange of ghost rays or punches. Valerie seemed to be struggling, electing to use her energy cube blasters, sled and hand to hand combat.

Danny grunted as a strong wave of electricity moved through his body. Not now he thought bitterly. I can do this. I have to do this. He heard Dan laughed scathingly, bringing the boy's attention back to the foe in front of him. "What?" he asked darkly, green eyes glowing in anger.

"Core Energy," Dan replied with a smirk. Danny's brow furrowed in confusion. "I knew your core was strong but to use it? Against me? How a year changes things."

Danny didn't reply, breathing hard while continuing to glare darkly at his evil self. He had been lucky so far not be hit. Focus. Get him away from Amity. He eyes darted from the ground to the forest they were in earlier.

"Too bad it won't help you. Let's see how you avoid it."

Danny only just managed to dodge, flipping backward as Dan appeared in front of him. Red eyes glowed darkly as blue flames swiped at the teen. Danny yelped, continuing to dodge as Dan forced him back.

"Behind you!"

Valerie's warning came too late as a duplicate slammed into him, stunning him in place. A second later, an explosion of blue flames hit him square on his chest, sending him flying back and hitting a building. The bricks dug into his back as he curled in on himself. The next thing Danny knew, Dan's hand was around his throat. Danny let out a strangled cry, white gloved hands grasping at his captor.

"Daniel!" he heard Plasmius yell out in alarm.

"Danny!" Danielle cried at the same time.

Dan let out a low laugh, his blue face moving to Danny's struggling one. "Here we are again," he said with a snarl. "Your pitiful attempts to change the past is tired Danny. How much longer can you keep this up?"

"Let him go."

Dan's eyebrows rose incredulously at the voice. Holding the struggling teen firmly, Dan turned his head all the way around. Valerie floated on her sled, her rocket launcher aimed directly at the two Phantoms. "Really? Didn't think you cared whether he died Valerie. Aren't all ghosts evil?"

"Oh, they are. He's just the lesser of two evils," she replied frostily. Valerie tried not to think about how necks should not turn all the way round as she stared him down.

"Evil?" Dan asked, smiling slightly. "If you want to label me as evil, I guess that works. But Danny here? Oh the things he could do if he just gave in."

"Val-rie. T-ake the sh-shot!" Danny ground out, his movements slowing down. Dan snarled as he turned back to his captive.

"I think that's enough out of you," he hissed, tightening his hold around the boy's neck. Danny let out a strangled gasp, choking as he tried to get enough air. "I wonder what Valerie would say if she knew your little secret."

Valerie's eyes widened at the evil ghost's words but put her hand on the trigger of the rocket launcher. "Last chance ghost - don't say I didn't warn you!"

Dan laughed, his other hand creating blue flames around it. "I'd like to see you try," he goaded with a roll of his eyes. "In the meantime, Danny and I have some unfinished business." He brought the flaming hand to the boy's chest, pressing it against the large, half healed burn. Danny made a sharp, strangled cry of pain as a bright ring of light appeared at his waist. It sparked dangerously, attacking the teen.

Valerie gasped, moving her hand off the trigger as she watched Phantom fight whatever the older ghost was throwing at him. That's… no. No. He can't be.

"Valerie what are you doing!" Danielle yelled to her. "Take the shot!"

She couldn't. She would hit them both. And if he's… I can't destroy him. The ring of light didn't move like Danielle's did; it stayed in one place, sparking dangerously. It was wild - almost electric rather than the gentle glow she had seen before.

A blast of magenta energy hit Dan in the back, making him cry out in pain and letting Danny go. The teen floated against the building for a moment before he fell downward. Dan snarled angrily, attempting to go after his prey but Vlad slammed into him hard. The older hybrid punched him in the face, followed by a strong kick into the duplicate Danielle was fighting. It disappeared, leaving Danielle staring at Vlad absolutely flabbergasted. "Get Daniel!" The young girl flew after Danny's falling form at top speed, whooshing past a still stunned Valerie. Vlad threw himself at the evil Phantom, fangs bared and bright magenta energy shining brightly around his wrists. Dan's eyes widened in alarm, quickly darting out of the way from the onslaught. "Stay still!" Vlad yelled, hitting the ghost in the chest and sending him spiralling into a building.

Dan looked up with narrow eyes, a feral smile on his lips. "You know, I always wondered which one of us was the better ghost. Maybe it's time to find out."

Red met red, both capes billowing in the wind. "Ms. Gray," Plasmius called, not looking at the hunter. "Get to Daniel." The two ghosts collided with an explosion.

:-=-:

Dani reached out to Danny's gloved hand as she barrelled downward. She willed herself to go faster, stretching herself as far as she could go until she caught him, pulling him upward to stop their descent. They were around the fourth floor of the office building when she steadied them in the air. "Danny!" she called urgently. There was no response. Frowning worriedly, she pulled his arm around her neck, floating in place as she looked him over. Danny was unconscious, wheezing with small breaths. A nasty bruise was darkening around his neck, mixing with an older one. His chest was raw with a nasty burn, destroying most of his emblem on his jumpsuit. A ring of light appeared around his waist again, sending sparks of strong ecto-energy throughout his body before they disappeared. "Danny…" Danielle whispered worriedly, biting her lip. She looked around, before she flew toward the office building.

Danielle turned them intangible, flying toward the back of the floor and leaned her cousin along the wall. He didn't stir; the wheezing becoming worse. "Come on Danny," Danielle told him quietly, shaking him gently. "You've taken worse hits right? Wake up?" Tears came to her eyes as he didn't respond.

A wall exploded, making Danielle turn with an ecto-blast at the ready. Angry tears reflected under her intense green glare. When she saw that it was Valerie, she dropped the ecto-blast and flew at the girl. Valerie caught her as Danielle tried to hit her. "Why!" she cried. "Why didn't you take the shot!?" Valerie stared, at a loss for words. Danielle scoffed angrily and flew back to the downed Phantom. Her anger left her as a deep sense of sadness came over her. "Wake up. Please."

"Is…is he?" Valerie asked in a small voice. Danielle shook her head.

"He's still breathing," she said quietly, shaking him gently. His skin was too warm. "But he's not waking up."

Valerie walked over to the two Phantoms, guilt consuming her as she looked at the boy's injuries. "What did that ghost do to him?"

Danielle sighed, frowning. "I don't know," she replied. "I couldn't really see from where I was. It looked like -" Danielle cut herself off, an angry scowl directed at the girl. "You could've stopped it! You had a clear shot."

Valerie said nothing, still staring at the unconscious teen. "I couldn't shoot," she said quietly.

"Why?" Danielle asked.

"My question exactly." Both girls turned at Plasmius' voice. He looked a little worse for wear, but once his red eyes found Danny, he flew forward, checking the boy over gently.

"I thought you were battling the creepy doppelganger?" Valerie queried with an edge in her voice.

"Duplication," Vlad said flippantly, frowning slightly as he put his hand on Danny's forehead. "He's burning up."

"He hasn't woken up," Danielle told him worriedly. "Not even a sound. Is he going-"

Vlad's mouth became a thin line, stopping Danielle's train of thought. "Water," he instructed, looking at Danielle. "The coldest you can find. Ice too if possible." Danielle looked like she was about to argue, but with another glance at Danny, she nodded and took off somewhere in the office building. Vlad turned his gaze at the other teenager in the room. "Locate the thermostat on this floor. Crank the air conditioner."

"Don't you have, I don't know, bigger priorities than being cozy in an icebox?" Valerie asked, arching an eyebrow.

Plasmius scoffed. "The other one hasn't noticed that I've left," he said with a wave. "If you don't get the air on, that ghost will be the least of our worries."

Valerie narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Vlad's eyes glowed in frustration. "Later. Just do as I say."

Valerie scoffed, retracting her sled and moved through the office. It took her a few minutes, but eventually she found the small white object on the wall. She turned the dial quickly, turning the temperature down all the way before she headed back to the two ghosts in the back of the floor. Plasmius was quiet, inspecting the boy's injuries closely with a frown on his face. As he came across the burn on his chest, he made a noise of disapproval.

"Brownie Brittle!" he swore softly, his brow furrowing. Valerie was slightly surprised how much he sounded like Vlad Masters in that moment.

She brought her hand around her shoulders, rubbing them up and down as the temperature got colder. She leaned against a cubicle, a slight frown on her face as she observed their interaction. Valerie watched as Plasmius muttered something under his breath to Phantom, but the teen still remained unconscious. She swallowed slightly. "I would have hit them both," she said quietly.

The older hybrid raised an eyebrow in her direction. "That's not stopped you before."

She sighed. "I know," she said. "What did he do to him?"

Plasmius opened his mouth to respond when Danny finally stirred, coughing. "Daniel?" he called softly. The boy in question groaned, his face scrunched as he coughed again.

"Found some!" Danielle yelled, flying back at top speed with a couple bottles of water and what appeared to be an ice bucket. "There was a kitchen a couple floors up."

Vlad nodded. "Give him some water, slowly," he told her. He took the ice from the girl, picking up a few pieces and put it on Danny's burns.

Danny gasped in pain, coughing again as the ice melted. Danielle brought a bottle of water to his lips, tilting his head backward. He drank the water readily, wincing and coughing when Danielle would take breaks. Eventually, the coughs became less frequent as Danny started to breathe normally, wincing slightly if he moved.

"Daniel has an ice core," Vlad told them, watching Danny's chest rise and fall. "I don't know what happened before he came back here, but it was injured somehow. That evil Phantom has a heat core. Essentially, he just shot flames into the boy's core - if it melts… Danny Phantom would become a shell of his former self. Or worse… become like that monster we're fighting."

"So we're putting out the fire?" Danielle asked, frowning. Vlad nodded. "Do you really think that could happen? I mean - its Danny."

"I'm right here… you know…"

All three occupants gasped, looking at Danny. His eyes were still closed, moving with a wince as he sat up against the wall. His voice was low, a little raspy and raw from the attack.

"Danny!" Danielle exclaimed, moving closer to him. The boy winced at the volume of her voice. "You okay?"

Danny's eyes opened with a glare and a frown directed at his cousin. "If feeling like you've been sat on by an elephant is okay… then yes."

Danielle glared back. "Just asking. Considering I just had to save your ungrateful backside from eating asphalt," she retorted.

The two ghosts glared for another two seconds before they broke out into small grins. Danny nodded, signalling his thanks, before he winced again, rubbing his throat. He grimaced, curling inward slightly as Vlad put more ice onto the burn.

"Lie still," the older half-ghost ordered. "We need to get your temperature down."

Danny turned Plasmius, green eyes clouding in thought. "Dan?" he asked.

"I've got him occupied," Vlad assured. When the boy relaxed slightly, the man frowned. "Daniel, you can't go on like this. I warned you before - you're not thinking clearly. These injuries -"

"Are healing," Danny interrupted closing his eyes for a moment as he gripped his side. "You told me to use those Ecto-Enhancers for an emergency right?"

"Yes, but not to fly back into battle!" Vlad exclaimed angrily. His ghostly aura flared dangerously. "You're lucky they're still working at all! I described like an energy supplement boy, did you ever think what would happen when you crashed?"

Danny opened his eyes, glaring at his arch-enemy. "I'm fully aware of what my limits are," he said coolly. "I told you Vlad, Whatever it takes."

Vlad let out a suffering sigh, putting more ice on the boy's burn and pressing it a little more firmly on his chest. Danny let out a cry of pain, grimacing heavily. "Clearly," he replied sarcastically. Danielle glared at the older hybrid as she moved to steady Danny's form. "If you can rest here for a little while, you should heal enough to head back to FentonWorks without needing another dose," Vlad continued. His face softened slightly as he watched Danny recover. "Dan did something to your core little badger. You already know what happens when a heat core melds with an ice one."

Danny sighed, shaking his head. "He's not trying to kill me - not yet anyway," the boy said softly. Green eyes met red as he continued. "He's keeping me like this to bring me to the edge. He's trying to break me down before wasting me - finding some creative ways to do it too."

Suddenly, Danny gasped, body going rigid as a bright ring of light appeared around his waist. The ring shot white electricity throughout his body; Danny screamed, only vaguely aware of his name being called. The transformation rings moved slightly, trying to get him to transform, but green ecto-energy joined the white electricity and attacked the boy some more. His back arched up away from the wall, Danielle and Vlad attempting to keep him still as the white light moved back toward his middle. Danny managed to clench his teeth, and with a desperate yell of exertion managed to make his transformation cease. He hit the wall, vacantly looking at the ceiling as he gasped for air.

Danielle looked between Vlad and Danny with wide, fearful eyes. "What …" was the only word she could say as she grasped Danny's shoulder. Vlad's red eyes also widened, watching the young hybrid try and compose himself. The man opened his mouth to say something, but a different voice beat him to it.

"You're... like them."

Vlad and Danielle both stiffened, turning to the forgotten ghost hunter apprehensively. Valerie's eyes were wide, no longer leaning on the cubicle as she stared at the injured ghost in front of her.

"Come again?" Vlad asked nervously. Danny's gasps were slowing now, chest heaving less as he started to regain composure.

"Phantom," Valerie said quietly, moving a few steps towards the three ghosts. Danny flinched slightly, as if he only realized the girl was there. "He's… you're… you're human. Aren't you?" Valerie continued to move as if in a daze, eventually kneeling down at Phantom's feet. "That ring of light is just like Danielle's when she transforms." The half-ghost in question cursed under her breath, worriedly looking at her cousin for any sort of response. Vlad's eyes narrowed in accusation at the hunter, but said nothing. Danny continued to look at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact. "You've known who I was since the beginning. I… I know you… don't I?" Danny stiffened slightly, finally recovering from his failed transformation attempt and acknowledging the situation he was in. He swallowed slightly, his silence confirming her suspicions. "I do know you. You go to Casper High right? You're -" she gasped, her suspicions clicking into place. "Oh my God - I'm such an idiot! It's so obvious!" Danny closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable.

"You're Dash Baxter!"

Danny's eyes flew open at accusation as all three half-ghosts let out a small sigh of relief. He looked at Valerie and blinked, twice. His mouth twitched as he met her eyes. A small laugh escaped his lips. Then another. He couldn't help himself - Danny burst out into uncontrollable laughter. His laugh was light, freeing and most of all - contagious as Danielle joined in, followed by Vlad. The three hybrids laughed while Valerie scowled, turning red in embarrassment as they continued laughing.

"Which one is he?" Vlad asked, chortling slightly as he recovered. Danielle watched with a smile as Danny continued to double over in fits of laughter and held his side. She shrugged, shaking her head as she gave a sympathetic glance to Valerie.

"The…" Valerie started, watching with a confused frown as Phantom continued to laugh. "The quarterback -"

"Football?" Vlad asked incredulously. "Oh Ms. Gray, I thought you were more observant than that."

"He's… you're not?" Valerie asked weakly.

Danny's laughs turned into coughs, wincing slightly as he looked up at Valerie in amusement. Vlad looked at him worriedly and helped him sit up. "Dash Baxter?" he asked hoarsely with sparkling eyes. He looked like he would burst out into laughter again. "Wow Valerie - in what world do I remind you of that idiot?" He grunted slightly as he moved. "No Valerie - definitely not. Good nightmare fuel though."

"So why did you light up like a Christmas tree?" Valerie pressed, pushing through her embarrassment.

Danny sighed, glancing briefly at Vlad and Danielle before he answered. "I told you, he did something to my core. I think he's trying to keep me in ghost form."

Valerie's eyes widened slightly at the small confirmation that she was partially right as Vlad continued. "My thoughts exactly - you're more durable in this form. If he's not trying to kill you, I'm sure he's trying to make it easier for when he does."

"So he's blocking your transformation somehow?" Danielle asked with a frown. "But why? It'd be easier to take you out as a human?"

"If that's all that he cared about, yes," Plasmius continued. Red eyes widened as they found the dried ectoplasm on Danny's lower body. "Daniel, you can still… feel your human self? Right?"

Danny's eyes widened at his words, nodding without hesitation. "Yeah! I'm not…" he trailed off, unable to say it.

Vlad exhaled in relief before he stiffened. "Butter biscuits!" he exclaimed, turning to the exposed wall Valerie had created in alarm. He held Danny down, feeling the boy tense.

"Are we finished playing?" Dan's voice floated down to them. He was nowhere to be seen, but his voice reverberated around the building. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice Plasmius? Still too much of a coward I see."

Danny tried to move, but Danielle tightened her hold on his shoulder, making him wince. Valerie shook her head at him.

"Phantom, he's trying to get to you," she reminded him sternly.

"You think I don't know that?" he retorted angrily, trying to push himself up.

"Probably saved that sorry excuse of my past," Dan continued. Danny's eyes narrowed dangerously. "How is Danny doing? Still alive I hope. I mean, I would hate for him to miss what's next."

Danny stilled, listening intently as the girls watched him closely.

"Danny, you listening? You don't want something bad to happen on your watch. You must be past your limit by now - so it'll be interesting to see how well you can multi-task. I think it's time to pay them visit, don't you?"

"No…" Danny whispered, paling slightly. Vlad looked back to the teen worriedly.

"Daniel?"

Danny got up quickly, managing to stand for a few seconds before he faltered. Valerie and Danielle caught him by the shoulders. "He's… he's going after," he tried to say, attempting to regain his balance.

"I've been looking forward to this," Dan stated. "See if you can keep up."

Dan's voice disappeared, leaving the four occupants staring at each other. Danny tried to stand again before he fell to his knees with a strangled cry of pain. Valerie, Danielle and Vlad knelt around the boy as he made a move to try and stand again.

"Danny - stop please!" Danielle begged, watching as he tried to strain himself.

"My… the Fentons," he ground out, looking wildly at the three people in front of him. "He's about to go after the Fentons."

"Why would he do that?" Valerie asked. "I mean, they're probably the only other people out there with ghost weapons. Besides, he said them - not Fentons.

"Daniel," Vlad said gently, his tone causing the boy in question to look him. "You're injured. Going out will get all of you killed. The best way you can help right now is to recover."

"I can't," Danny told him, distraught. "I need to help them."

"Then we'll go instead!" Danielle told him earnestly. "Vlad's right, you can barely stand, let alone fight. We can hold him off."

Danny looked at the three of them before he gripped his side again and nodded. He hid his face, hiding the conflicting emotions across his face. "Okay," he conceded.

Danielle, Valerie and Vlad let out a breath as they accepted their victory.

"Dan can split into four right?" Valerie asked. "So one for each Fenton?"

Vlad shook his head. "I doubt he'd go after Daniel Fenton - the boy would be at FentonWorks I'm sure," said, adding an exaggeration on Danny's last name.

Valerie frowned. "Wouldn't that make him the perfect target?"

"Have you seen FentonWorks right now?" Danielle asked with an eyebrow raised. "It has a ghost shield and a ton of ghosts protecting it - almost like a fortress. I flew over there earlier."

Valerie opened her mouth to retort, but the billionaire continued. "If we split up, we can tackle the other three. It's doubtful that the FentonWorks shield will hold for long, but it will slow him down. I'll take-"

"Jazz," Danny cut in, finally looking up from his kneeling position. "Vlad you need to go to Jazz; she figured out who he was last time. She's the most in danger."

"Not to mention, I wouldn't trust you with Jack or Maddie," Danielle added bitterly. The older half-ghost glared at her. "I'll go to Jack - I remember seeing him earlier."

"And I guess I'll go to Maddie?" Valerie asked, frowning. "I still think we need to watch out for that fourth Phantom. I don't trust him."

Danny shook his head. "Frostbite and his people are there," he assured. "They're more than capable in defending FentonWorks - especially if Tucker can finish the improved Ghost Shield. That fourth duplicate - if there is one - is waiting for me. Please - don't let them die."

Valerie blinked, before she nodded. She made her sled appear, floating slightly in the air as she looked at Phantom. "Don't think this is over Ghost Boy. I'll figure you out eventually. Don't you dare think of dying on me before I do." She flew off, leaving Danielle and Vlad behind her.

Danny tried again to stand, managing to take a few steps toward a cubicle before faltering, grabbing the divider for support as his knees buckled. Danielle bit her lip nervously, glancing at a stoic Vlad beside her.

"I know the Ecto-Enhancers are still working," Danny told them softly, not looking in their direction. "I can feel it but it's not enough." Green eyes finally turned, looking at the two desperately. "Don't let him win."

Tears swelled in Danielle's eyes as she nodded, flying forward to give her cousin a hug. The boy returned it with one hand, desperation turning into resolve as green met red. Danielle broke away and jumped into the air, flying to find Jack Fenton.

Danny and Vlad stared at each other for a long time before Vlad sighed. "Daniel," Vlad started, worry starting to crack through his stoic façade. "Stay here - we'll be back before you know it. This is not goodbye."

Danny smiled wryly. "I didn't know you cared Vlad."

Vlad stared silently for a few minutes. "You are the only other one like me," Vlad said softly, making Danny's eyes widen. "And you're fifteen. I will not let you die." With that, Vlad swung his cape around and vanished.

Danny slid to the ground, leaning heavily on the cubicle wall with a soft groan. He could rest, recover a bit before he tried to lure Dan out again. Or Tucker can finish that damn shield. He sighed, leaning his head backwards as he relaxed slightly. He was feeling better, relieved in part that his family would be fine. Ethelwulf has Sam, he thought. Frostbite will protect Tucker. My parents, Jazz… they're good. There was no one unaccounted for.

Blue sparks came to life around him, a soft groan escaping his lips as yet another time vision appeared before his eyes. He was so tired. Danny gave in, thankfully only reliving when he found out what happened in the alternate timeline.

The statue of the Fentons, Sam and Tucker, all smiling looked down on him as he came to. An epigraph on the large pedestal reads "GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN". He read it out loud, wincing slightly as he realised he was bound by something.

Something caught his attention on the side. There was another statue, this one of Lancer off by itself. The pedestal had sunk into the ground so that it read "MR LANCER - GONE".

As the sparks subsided, he sighed tiredly, closing his eyes in hopes to rest a little. It lasted all of two seconds as Danny gasped, eyes flying open and any semblance of fatigue being pushed to the side. There was someone unaccounted for.

He had forgotten about Lancer.

#cartoons #danny phantom #fanfiction #danny fenton #action #adventure #cross posted on ao3 #no phantom planet #But his parents know #ecto storm series #Out of Time #multichapter #Fight #Dan vs ValerieDaniVladDanny #100th post

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mavericksy · 3 years

Text

Seeing Red

TW: Detailed descriptions of menstruation, gender dysphoria

Summary: Tsuburaba gets his period, and Class 1B try to make him feel better, with varying degrees of success.

AO3 link (text is also below): https://archiveofourown.org/works/28285605

A/N: Sweet comfort fic- I got my period a a few days ago and it was really bothering me this morning. also, there is a major lack of trans tsuburaba content. how could you do this to dysphoria hoodie boy.

SEEING RED

Vlad King shouldered into the locker room and clapped his hands.

“Alright, boys, time to get to the gym!”

At once, the gathered male students looked up and nodded, their conversations dropping to a hush as they hurried to fix their costumes.

He held the door open for them, counting each student as they went into the corridor. As Honenuki left the room, Vlad spotted Monoma loitering at the back, wearing a concerned expression.

“Is everything alright, son?” he asked. Monoma looked behind himself.

“It’s Tsuburaba, sir.”

“Oh?” Thinking on it, Vlad hadn’t spotted the short boy among the rest of the group. “Did he come in today?”

Monoma nodded. “Yes, sir. He’s in the bathroom. He’s having a few…issues.”

“Oh. Should I get the Imodium?”

“It’s not that! Sir, it’s that time of the month.” Vlad continued to frown at him. Monoma sighed. “He’s on his period.”

“He is?”

“I think he got it while he was getting changed in the back- it caught him by surprise. He’s upset.”

“I can imagine. Poor kid. Sometimes I forget he’s…you know.”

“Sir, permission to go to the girl’s locker room. He says he needs a sanitary towel.”

“Permission granted, son.” Monoma nodded and prepared to leave the room. “No funny business when you get there, mind!”

The boy rolled as his eyes as he left. Steeling himself for an awkward discussion, Vlad tip-toed towards the bathroom at the back of the changing room. It was a small, tiled annex, with two closed stalls, two urinals, and a pair of porcelain sinks. A passage to the right led towards the showers. Underneath the gap of one of the toilet cubicles, he spotted shadows moving on the floor. Muffled noises were coming from inside.

He coughed and knocked on the wall next to him. “Tsuburaba? You in here, son?”

The muffled noise suddenly stopped. A moment later, a croaky voice replied, “Yeah.”

“Monoma tells me you’re in a bit of an awkward situation.”

Tsuburaba laughed ruefully, a single sardonic bark that rattled around the walls.

“Do you want to come out and talk about it?”

“I can’t really move right now, sir.”

Drat. There went Vlad King’s patented ‘give them a comforting yet manly hug’ maneuver. Now he’d actually have to make conversation.

“Is everything OK?”

From inside the dim stall, Tsuburaba looked in the direction of Vlad King’s deep voice. His hands were full of wadded-up toilet paper, which he had been using to try and pat his crotch and briefs dry.

“Could be better, sir,” he admitted, squinting at the rust-colored marks across the tissue after he had scuffed it across his bloody underwear. He sighed and threw it between his legs, into the toilet.

“Are you having...cramps or anything?”

“Not right now, no. I’ll probably end up getting them later tonight, though.” He unrolled another strip of tissue. “Sometimes they make it hard to sleep.”

“You got enough painkillers back in the dorms?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Good. Midnight’s on call tonight, if you need her. Do you want me to tell her what’s going on?”

“No, I…” Tsuburaba squeezed his eyes shut and pinched his forehead with his free hand, trying to control his voice as a lump began to rise in his throat. Vlad King’s voice kept coming, over and over, giving him no time to settle. “I’d rather keep this private, sir. If you don’t mind.”

“I get you. Are you going to be OK in class today?”

“I’ll be fine, sir, just so long as I’m not bleeding into my pants all morning!” Tsuburaba snapped. There was silence from outside. He exhaled shakily and placed his head in his hands, feeling another string of blood ooze out of him. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be, son. You’re going through a lot right now.”

“It’s such a weird feeling,” Tsuburaba said quietly, shivering as he crossed his arms. “I can feel the blood on my skin as it’s coming out, but…it’s like there’s not enough skin, you know? I can feel that something else is supposed to be there, but…it’s not. It’s just flat.” He swallowed. “Sorry, again. That’s TMI.”

“It…” Vlad King didn’t disagree, but Tsuburaba could tell from his careful, measured tone of voice that he was sympathetic. “It’s good to talk about this kind of thing, sometimes- to have a level of awareness about your body. Did I ever tell you about the time I got infected by a parasite?”

Tsuburaba’s eyes widened. He shook his head, then remembered that Vlad couldn’t see him.

“No, sir.”

“Well, there’s not much to tell,” Vlad King laughed. “I was out in the field, fighting off a group of your standard hoodlums. One of them went in for a close-combat attack from behind, and managed to hit my back. I swung him away from me and finished the fight without making too much of it. Then, over the next few days, I had this awful aching sensation in my right shoulder, like I’d thrown it while training.”

“I’ve had that kind of thing all week,” said Tsuburaba, feeling an ache prickle down his own back. “Should have known it was coming from that. Anyway, you were saying?”

“The pain lasted for weeks. I thought I was going nuts- I was tired, I was cranky, but I couldn’t work out what was wrong for the life of me. It wasn’t until I rolled over in bed one night and my wife noticed this golf ball sized protrusion sticking out of my back. We got to an emergency doctor, and she put me under for surgery that same evening- a few hours later, I wake up in her office, and there’s this giant insect squirming around a glass jar next to her computer.”

Tsuburaba choked back a gasp. Always prone to feeling pain as other people described it, he clutched his shoulder, wincing in sympathy.

“That’s crazy, sir!”

“Uh-huh. Turns out it had been part of a plan to put me out of commission- to change up the patrol routes so the gang could launch an attack without me being there. Oh- here’s Monoma.”

“I got a sanitary towel from Kendou,” Monoma’s voice said. Plastic packaging crinkled.

“You’re a lifesaver, bro,” said Tsuburaba, inching towards the door. He looked down at himself and sighed. “Can you push it under the door?”

He saw Monoma’s feet approaching.

“Is everything OK, now, Tsuburaba?” Vlad King asked.

“Yeah, everything should be fine now, thanks,” said Tsuburaba, grabbing the square piece of packaging from Monoma’s hand. “I’ll join everyone in a minute.”

“I’ll see you in the gym, then.”

“Cool. Oh, and sorry for snapping.”

There was a pause. Tsuburaba assumed that Vlad King and Monoma were eyeing each other.

“Don’t worry about it, son,” Vlad said reassuringly. His footsteps began retreating. “I’ll see you boys soon.”

“Do you want me to leave, Tsuba?” asked Monoma. He mulled it over.

“That’s OK,” he said. “Just give me a minute.”

With an apology to his friend, Monoma occupied himself at the urinals while he waited. From inside the stall, there was a tearing noise, followed by a high-pitched rustle. As Monoma went to wash his hands, the stall door clanked open, and Tsuburaba joined him at the sinks. He noticed how he stood with his legs a little apart, trying to rock his hips into a more comfortable position.

“Better?”

“Much better.”

They dried their hands and returned to the changing room. Tsuburaba stopped him before he left.

“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done today,” he said.

“It’s not a problem- it’s basic decency, really. Besides, Kendou’s the one you should be thanking.”

“I know, but…you didn’t have to do all this for me, you know?” He looked down at his feet. “I’ve got one more favour to ask, by the way. If you don’t mind.”

“Name it.”

“Could you tell me if I get a stain on my pants? Please? They’re pretty thick material, but the colour is light, so…”

“Are you asking if I’ll look at your butt for the rest of the lesson? That’s more than fine by me.” Monoma laughed as Tsuburaba scowled, though he could tell he was biting back a smile. The shorter guy swiped at him.

“Shuddup, will you?”

“I’m sorry!” They both laughed as they emerged into the hallway.

“But seriously, thanks.”

“No problem.”

Class went normally, for the most part. There was definitely a vague knowledge among the group that something was wrong with Tsuburaba, but he couldn’t complain too much about the various sympathetic glances that were being sent in his direction.

Tetsutetsu leaned forward and shook his shoulder.

“You’re the man, bro,” he whispered.

“Heh, thanks,” Tsuburaba said awkwardly, trying to disappear into the back corner of the benches. Tetsutetsu flinched as Kendou shoved him roughly.

“Would you leave him alone?” she hissed.

“I was only trying to-”

“It’s OK!” he said quickly. “Thanks, both of you. I appreciate it.”

Kendou turned to him and nodded, retreating from Tetsutetsu, who gave him a grateful thumbs-up.

The number of students on the benches dwindled as Vlad King organised them into groups, with only ten students on the court at any one time. Finding that he and Kendou were alone together- save for a few other students scattered a little further away- he slid next to her.

“Monoma says you helped me out today,” he said.

“Did he? Oh, with the…”

“Yeah. I just wanted to say thanks.”

“It’s no big deal, really! I’m just glad that we could get everything in order.”

“You and me both.”

“How do you feel now?”

“Swampy.”

With a glance in the other students’ direction, Kendou leaned in. Tsuburaba blushed as she came close, her ponytail brushing his shoulder.

“I got mine too, yesterday evening. I’ve stocked up on chocolate and sad movies if you wanted to hang out later.”

Tsuburaba shook his head. “I can’t do sad things when I’m like this. I’d be a mess. But thanks for the offer.”

“Any time.”

There was a chorus of groans as Kaibara hit the floor, a dodgeball bouncing away from him. On the opposite side of the court, Yanagi stood proudly to one side with her arms half-raised, her teammates screaming praise at her.

As Kaibara had been the last man standing on his team, Vlad King blew his whistle to signal the end of the match.

“Next team, Team B vs Team D!”

Tsuburaba took a moment to check his trousers before standing. He turned to Kendou.

“You’re clean,” she said, before he had even fully opened his mouth. “Good luck!”

He smiled and gave her a thumbs up, heading towards the court. Also up from the benches, Kuroiro joined him as they strode to their side of the court.

“I am so glad we have you,” he said to Tsuburaba. “You’re one of the best players.”

“Tsuburaba vs Yanagi and Monoma,” added Awase, who was making his way to the back of the room, ready to use his quirk to fuse as many accumulated dodgeballs as he could. “It’s a clash of the titans.

The shorter boy offered a quick smile to them both, before focussing his gaze on the opposing team. He began to breathe in deeply, preparing to unleash a slew of defensive walls.

Monoma caught his eye and grinned. He was stood in between Yanagi and Honenuki, which probably meant that Tsuburaba could expect strikes that came from nowhere, and for the ground to suddenly disappear beneath him- if Honenuki went out.

“Are you OK?” Monoma mouthed at him.

“I’m fine,” he mouthed back, watching Monoma’s concern fade and be replaced with a self-assured expression.

Tsuburaba grinned wickedly and fixed his eyes on the line of balls in front of him. He could use his quirk to shunt the balls at Team B before they had time to react, or wait for one of them to lurch forwards, only to slam into an invisible wall of air.

Monoma didn’t know just how closely he was going to have to watch his ass.

Disclaimer (?):

while periods suck, please remember that they are natural and you shouldn't be made to feel ashamed of them!

taking male hormones is *not* a 'cure' for menstruation. i've been on t for two years and had my period come back after a year of not having it, hence why i'm sad and wanted to write a comfort fic.

please don't feel like you need to medically transition just because you don't like having a period- there's a risk of you developing real gender dysphoria due to other side effects, and needing to detransition later. i'm saying this because there's not a lot of menstruation-themed content out there, and i don't want people to equate 'periods are annoying' with 'i must be transgender'. please speak to your doctor if you're worried about your cycle or any unusual symptoms.

with that said, godspeed to anybody dealing with their time of the month right now! i hope you have all the chocolate you need!

#bnha #mha #bnha fanfic #mha fanfic #class 1b #kosei tsuburaba #trans kosei tsuburaba #tw menstruation #tw menstrual cycle #tw gender dysphoria #tw periods

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