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#field trip to the ghost zone
norclop · 1 year
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I'm sorry, but why have we stopped the field trips to the ghost zone tropes? I mean Peter Parker gets to go to Stark tower at least twice a week and we can't chug Danny into the infinite realms at least one a month?
And if it's because there are too many copies of the same story with slight variations, then spice it up. The realms hold an infinite amount of possibilities, hence the name.
Throw in some Amity Park is weird. Do the whole thing from the perspective of a visiting friend or relative that is just so scared and confused because this place is creepy and traumatizing and Danny's class is greeting ghosts like old friends and going around like they've been there before and surrounded by this big toxic green ocean, they look less human.
Do it like a normal field trip, but with some ghostliness. Take the class to clockworks tower or the different dead cultures for a history lesson, invite them to the beach and make it ghostly, take them to the zoo and show us every mythical creature the zone has collected over the years.
Do it with a crossover, make Danny's ghost parents stand there the whole trip and let it change the trope, what about a teachers perspective? And if it's retold to a parent after the fact how would that parent react?
There's a million things to explored that we haven't even touched upon. What are we doing wrong? Why are we wasting all this potential?
Edit: We made it! Field trip ia now day 15 of the dannymay event. Thanks ladies and gentlemen for giving this important part of the fandom a new chance.
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puppetmaster13u · 2 months
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Prompt 268
Fright Knight sighs, running a clawed hand through his hair in an attempt to stop the flames from flickering into being. It had been far too long since he had taken a human-ish form. His human-ish form. Ugh. He didn’t exactly care for his human form after so long as a ghost, but needs must he supposed. 
Especially with the whole, we’re going to punch a backdoor into the literal daycare part of the Infinite Realms and be surprised when literal toddlers go exploring. 
Well, at least it got him off of guard duty for a bit, which was relieving. Not that he didn’t love the darkness, but it got boring in the shadow of his sword for literal centuries with nothing else happening. He was a warrior for Realm’s sake! Borderline an Ancient in both power and age! He wasn’t meant to stay so still for so long. 
So while ghostling wrangling wasn’t exactly in his area of expertise, he could definitely gather them back up to the Realms. And deal with the curs who had decided to attack literal babies. 
The Daycare area was already understaffed due to just how large it was, and the one in charge of this section had practically sobbed to the Council (In another world they would have been put on hold for a century in line for their concerns, and then more once a Sarcophagus was opened, but they had told the other ghosts in distress, causing others to let them go up in said line) how they were almost certain they had felt at least one core form Outside the realms thanks to the breach. 
Which had understandably put everyone at an uproar. 
So here he was slipping between shadows to do reconnaissance and take stock of if any Ghostlings had left the city. And gently scruffing those he comes across in exasperation because what are you doing, ghostling? Look at the mess, what would your caretaker say? 
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lexosaurus · 2 months
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13 year old phandom writers 🤝 "NEVER call me DAN"
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Phic Phight - In And Out Like A Bad Quickie
For: @dekalko-mania
Ghost Zone Field Trip fic? Yes. Expansive, filled with lore and mystery and secrets revealed? No. Potentially amusing? Yes. Worth clinking on, waiting for it to load, and reading? Maybe. 
Danny’s ass was less than impressed, the rest of the class on their stupid bus riding through green swirly town? Much impressed.
At least it was just blobs ‘n shit around.
Until Walker shows up looking pissed and shit. Naw. Nope. Danny ain’t doing this shit.
So he bodily flings himself at the controls, salutes Walker, and backs the thing the fuck up and out.
Shaking his finger at everyone as the portal doors close, “bad field trip. Bad Mr. Lancer. Bad, parents. Bad. Boo”, and just fucking leaves in a huff.
End.
Prompt: Be the first person in phandom history to complete a field trip into the ghost zone au (even just a oneshot)
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mkarchin713 · 9 months
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John and Maggie Brenton -Human Hunters
You know how in the Ghost Zone, Humans are the Ghosts well that got me thinking what would happen to ghost hunters who became ghosts.
Allow me to set the scene
….
The students of Casper High are going on a field trip to the Ghost Zone via the Fenton Portal and Specter Speeder. They run into trouble and get lost in the zone.
(I know this has been done to death but bear with me)
They all get flung into a corner of the zone that Team Phantom has never explored before. While trying to find there way home the Casper High Class run into John and Maggie Brenton-Human Hunters.
Now John and Maggie are basically the embodiments of what could happen to Jack and Maddie if they became ghosts. John and Maddie are so obsessed with ghost hunting it became their obsession in death. Since they couldn’t accept the fact they where now the very ghosts they feared/hates/hunted they have convinced themselves that ghosts are humans and humans are ghosts, this in not helped by the fact humans have intangibility in the zone. Now this pair of anti-Fentons/nega-Fentons/whatever are chasing the class through the zone trying to rip them molecule by molecule.
While on the run the humans find themselves in different ghostly areas like Undergrowth’s Lair (how will Sam react?) and the land of the dead of Ancient Egypt (will Tucker be Pharaoh?). They could meet various new characters from mythology, history, and straight out fiction (this is the infinite realms the possibilities are infinite)
All the while the Fentons have to deal with the fact they are now on the other end of the Bazooka as well as the fact that most of their theories about ghosts are wrong and the evidence is all around them. What’s worse is discovering their 14+ year old son and his friends know more about ghosts than they ever dreamed.
How are the humans going to make it back to the Fenton Portal without being dissected by human hunting ghosts or revealing Danny’s powers.
….
 potential DP tropes include; Everlasting Trio, Defect Quartet, Wes Weston, Ghost King Danny, Ghost Baby Danny, Little Baby Man, Liminal Team Phantom, Liminal Amity Park, Fenton Parents A+ Parenting, Reveal Gone Wrong, Reveal Gone Right, Pharaoh Tuck, Plant Sam, Vivisection/Dissection fic, and many more
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nerdpoe · 8 months
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Danny, after going on a walk through the Ghost Zone, comes across a very friendly couple who quasi-adopt him.
They're super cool, too!
They used to be a part of a traveling circus, and they know how to do all sorts of neat tricks and flips and they teach him how to do them too!
Honestly, with their help his flying becomes next level; they forced him to obey gravity long enough to learn how to ignore it without using his abilities, and as such he gets a greater understanding of how to maneuver through it.
So when his Freshman class goes to Gotham on a field trip (scare tactic to prevent them from becoming drop outs because "oh if you drop out you'll resort to being a thug and you'll be trapped in this cursed city foreverrrrrr ooooooooo~") Danny decides to show off to Sam and Tucker in a small park.
He does a quadruple flip off of a wall he ran up.
Barbara stares in disbelief through her cameras.
That.
That shouldn't be possible?
She calls Dick to ask if he had any siblings or cousins he wasn't aware of.
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hello-eden · 2 months
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DpxDC #6
I did this idea with Jason but what if it was with Kon instead. Danny needs stable clone DNA to help stabilize Ellie; he finds Superboy and asks him to help stabilize Ellie. Kon is touched by the fact that he's trying to save her and agrees to help with it. Neither were told that Ellie would end up being the deaged or that the DNA would mix and that Ellie would technically become their kid. The two of them end up doing partial custody and getting to know one another well this is going on. whether they end up together or not is entirely up for interpretation.
 I think because Danny is used to the weirdest option being the correct one and Kon is literally a clone they would think that everyone would automatically assume the weirdest option too.  it would be funny for Kon to just off-handedly mention Ellie first and not make a big announcement. so everyone thinks that Ellie has been in his life a lot longer than she actually has been. I imagine that  because of Danny's flightiness because of powers and probably him being in the ghost zone trying to stabilize Ellie it would seem like Danny had a hidden pregnancy. even if they did DNA testing any cloning signs would be put down to Kons DNA.
Kon's friends like Tim or Bart Meet Ellie during some sort of drop off. like Danny is going on a field trip and needs Kon to watch Ellie for the weekend. He probably mentions this and everyone is like can we go see your kid. I imagine that's how they would be introduced to Danny. it would especially be confusing if Danny is just very civilian but also so nonchalant about all of the hero stuff going on. Danny was very much raised by jazz in a very small town so  any sign of obvious weirdness is very much not shown. Ellie is probably young enough that she doesn't really understand secret keeping even if she has her memories so she's probably floating around. Everyone takes that as a sign that Ellie is definitely Kon's.
If you go the Romantic route with Kon and Danny, Kon would mention that he's going on a date with Danny and for anyone to babysit. It is later revealed that this would be their first date and then everyone would question how the hell they even had a kid in the first place if this was their first date.  it would make everyone think that Ellie is very much a one-night stand baby and I think that would be hilarious. 
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evilminji · 5 months
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:O !!! Wait a second... GHOST DINOSAURS!!!
They died. There are ghost animals. You CAN NOT tell me getting fuckin nuked from space by a GIANT rock that blasted you and everything you've ever known into near instantaneous oblivion, wouldn't leave some Unfinished Business and a shit ton of Ectoplasm.
BILLIONS of things died all at once.
Did most move on? Probably. We're any of them sentient? We have no idea! Maybe! Unlikely, but maybe! Still a MASSIVE, countries wide, molten earth lined, crater of instant death. World shaking and history making. Death in the blink of an eye.
If you're lucky.
But! I hear the arguments now. That was one event. The X or Y dinosaur lived before that! What I'm interested in came AFTER! Good points! But not RELAVENT!!! Because you know what ELSE that giant fuck-off meteor is good for? Aside for Death(tm)?
Television.
Makes for some damn good documentaries. Exciting graphics and neato visual effects. Ooooh~ look at our dramatic recreation! The cute baby animals, unsuspecting of their Doomed Fate~! Tense music! And now, a world from our advertisers!
You know who LIKES Space Documentaries? Danny. He's all ABOUT that Science Channel. Granted, they've been pulling more and more of these mid-tear "aliens built the pyramids" and "look at these swords!" Shows... but! Still! He grew up on this channel! He doesn't WANT to give up on it!
And, yeah, this is... kinda hammy... but it's still watchable!
He's enjoying the live tweeting from paleontologists who are ROASTING the thing to a lovely golden brown. Has choked on his noodles like three times already. It's great! But now? They are arguing over what the dinosaurs actually looked like again... and??
And, look, maybe it's the good mood and boredom. Maybe it's having the house to himself. Maybe it's his parents finally encouraging him to use his "ghostiness" for SCIENCE(tm)(!) the other day. Could even be his bad idea impulse acting up again, buuuuut.....
Teeeeechnically?
Nothing? Is STOPPING him? From finding out? He DOES have Zone compatible cameras. And can probably back trace where they should-ish be? He can find out. The colors might be off, but it's a starting point? Right? And heck, he's pretty sure inverse coloration in standard unless someone's shape-shifting, so he'd just have to inverse it AGAIN to get an approximately correct coloration for them!
....eh, as long as he leaves a "not exact, this was the best I could get" note, it should be fine.
Road Trip time! Better call Dani and see if she wants to ride a few giant mammals and some lizards!
(Needless to say? Some researchers get VERY exciting emails. And only accept they are POSSIBLE, because this is a DC crossover. So there is aliens and magic regularly popping up in their field of expertise, so WHY NOT? Just the other day, a whole ass TOWN that has been wiped out... got UN-wiped out! 23 years later! It's made headlines. Weird shit happens.
So gib. Release to them the Dinosaurs, mystery email man. Fork them over before they begin biting. You think this corduroy jacket means they won't hunt you down? HA! You know NOTHING of academics! WHERE ARE THE EXTINCT ANIMALS? Where are you hiding them!?!?)
@the-witchhunter @hypewinter @nerdpoe @ailithnight @hdgnj @mutable-manifestation
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little-pondhead · 1 year
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DP x DC idea:
With the discovery of the Ghost Zone and the reveal of Phantom’s identity, Amity Parkers become regular dimension hoppers for the stupidest things.
The A-listers frequent new malls that haven’t sold out of limited edition items and follow new sports teams. Some adults will go shopping in grocery stores where the prices are cheaper. There are field trips scheduled to exotic and usually destroyed locations such as the Library of Alexandria or Atlantis. Everyone has their reasons to escape their own reality, and usually people follow the rules Danny and his Court has set.
It all comes to a head, however, when the Mansons drag Sam off to the DC universe after they landed themselves an invite to some prestigious Wayne Gala, and Danny is called in to retrieve them when one of the parents breaks the rules.
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tanglepelt · 7 months
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Dc x dp idea 134
Danny does not like leaving amity. When he’s not there he is in a stressed and anxious state. He knows he can run to the ghost zone in amity.
Everywhere else. Yea. The government can legally dissect him and he wouldn’t have easy access to safety. So no. No thank you. He will very much not go anywhere else.
Then of course a field trip happens.
Dannys forced to go. Lines like maybe you’ll see an alien. Their hero’s it’s perfectly safe. From the minute he gets there he is beyond stressed and on edge.
Then they go to the watchtower. They were so lucky they got the opportunity (heros definitely not just trying to see what’s up with amity discreetly after finding firewalls blocking info).
He is not discretely hiding it at all. Hovering by doors. Definitely not plotting if he could escape into the vacuum of space. Thinking about all the times the government tried to kill him. The sun wouldn’t kill him right? He could escape to the sun. Or how legally the league would have to turn him in. Like they work with the government. Just pure panic thoughts.
He is absolutely not thinking of every scenario that could happen. Definitely not spiraling the longer they are there.
It’s not like anyone could tell.
Everyone could tell. And with the panic as bad as it was. Well they did have a couple mind readers.
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halfghostwriter · 1 year
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There’s a special kind of ectoplasmic rock candy made in the ghost zone that looks remarkably similar to kryptonite, the main difference being that the rock candy is a bit transparent.
Of course, during the Casper High field trip to Metropolis, it doesn’t take long for a small mix-up to end in Danny losing all of his rock candy and finding out that he can bite through kryptonite (it tastes like rock. He was very disappointed).
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minty364 · 2 months
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DPXDC Prompt #142 Part 2
His parents had spent years working on their portal, to the point where they were neglecting their own children. Danny didn’t know any better, neither did Jazz. To them it was just how their family ran and for the most part it worked for them. It allowed Danny to really study space and the Stars. His room was covered with different ship models on the shelves, glow in the dark stars on the ceiling and posters on the walls.
Jazz had similarly explored her own thoughts and topics as she studied Psychology. Her room was more feminine but still had a certain scientific decorum to it.  
He never thought that he’d suddenly be ripped from all the things he loved. But here he was with the trench coat man, instead of taking some biology class or something.
“What happened with the portal?” Danny asked.
The man took a long sigh, “listen… quite a lot of shit went down after your accident.” 
“That tells me nothing,” Danny glared at the man.
“I get your upset kid, but let me at least know your name. Mine's John Constantine,” 
“…Danny,” Danny muttered after a moment. He wasn’t sure he trusted the man but he guessed he had no choice. He was also noticing he felt a bit off, it was the weirdest gut feeling and Danny was having trouble telling exactly what the feeling was. It was like the feeling was telling him to trust John, although at the same time John had this weird feeling about him that had Danny feeling weary. He decided to trust John just a little, hopefully it got him back home, after a moment Danny spoke again, “…Can you at least tell me if the portal worked?”
The room was silent for a moment and then John spoke “Alright, fine, I’ll tell you what happened but some background first, do you know who the ancients are?” 
The name didn’t sound familiar, “Ancients? Like Ancient Aliens or something?” 
“No, no…” John took a swig from a flask in his pocket and then started fiddled with an unlit cigarette he pulled from a different pocket. He then looked Danny up and down, “You don’t know the first thing about the infinite realms do you?”
“The what?” None of this was making any sense and the more Danny talked to this guy the more he was getting a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. Something about this conversation felt wrong, like Danny should know all of this already but he just didn’t. 
“Right well… I guess the easiest way to explain this is the portal your parents made was to the infinite realms.” John said, putting the cigarette in his mouth.
“My parents called it the Ghost Zone.” Danny muttered.
John seemed to chuckle at that, “I mean it is mainly inhabited by ghosts, however they aren’t the only ones, far from it in fact. I’m sorry but… I couldn’t allow your parents unlimited access to the realms. I had to disable it and prevent it from being reactivated.”
Danny felt a little disheartened after hearing that, he guessed John was probably right though. He remembered hearing his parents talk about how they’d dissect every ghost they found to study them. The bully’s at his school often bullied Danny over it especially after his dad and mom would continually embarrass him on parent teacher nights and on field trips.
Danny let out a small sigh, “so when can I go home?”
John looked a little surprised, his eyebrow quirked up, “so you're unaware of your situation right now?”
“Situation?” Danny trailed off, he remembered getting shocked and then he remembered waking up here, “where are we?”
John let out another sigh, “shit, well from my research you're supposed to know everything about your powers when you wake up.”
This made no sense to Danny, powers? Danny didn’t have powers, he didn't have the meta-gene.
“Powers? I don’t have the meta-gene. I think you have the wrong person.” Danny stated as he folded his arms in front of himself.
“Then how are you floating?” John asked with a smirk.
Danny looked down and he indeed was floating just an inch off the bed, he wondered when that started but the feeling threw him off a little as he stumbled a little trying to keep himself upright. It didn’t work and he fell back down on the bed with a little thud. He turned to see John watching him with a small hint of amusement in his eyes. 
“What am I?” Danny asked, his voice small and a little panicked.
“You, Danny Fenton, are an Ancient. I know the term makes it seem like you're old but the term is more because your people are ancient in age.” The explanation made no sense to Danny but he could somehow float now. He thought the term ‘Ancient’ was a little much for some floating powers.
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stealingyourbones · 1 year
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So, I'm new to DC. Your twin has been helping me get caught up on the basics. But from what I understand, the actual way Jason was brought back from the dead is either ignored or poorly explained. The pit came about when Talia found him after he already came back.
Now, what if when Jason died, he became a ghost and had a home island in the ghost zone. And became friends with the local reigning monarch (I like to think Danny was complaining about English and Jason heard and started tutoring him, but the how isn't very important).
Well, Jason is still caught up on his unfinished business in Gotham. The Zone doesn't have much need for a boy hero and he isn't ready to give that up. So he decides to go to Desiree and wish for his life back. She sends him back, but without his ghost core. Which is part of the reason he's so unstable. It has the side effect of him losing his memories of his time in the zone.
So Danny is in Gotham. Depending on the ship you like, he's looking at colleges for himself or Jazz. Or maybe it's a Casper High field trip and the fic is gen. And while there, Danny sees his friend Jason who disappeared into his core and hasn't been able to be helped since. All any ghost knows is that he was seeking out Desiree before whatever happened to him.
Anyway, I've no time to do anything with this. But it's an idea I had! Hope some others enjoy it.
Oh shit I’ve seen so many fics with Jason being a human with a core but having that prolonged rage because he lacks a core?! Oh that’s a fascinating concept.
Would he even be able to form another core at all? Is it unfixable? Does he have urges to, instead of brutally injuring someone, just flat out kill them instead? The reason being that he’s subconsciously trying to take the cores of the newly formed ghosts to continue living?
Oh god ok this is a completely separate idea now but I propose this: Jason is without a core and has to steal and consume ghost cores Vampire style to continue on living.
Ok back to the original idea: I absolutely adore it. Big question is how does Jason get his core back?
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radiance1 · 5 months
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I've been having a thunk about Pariah Dark.
Specifically, the hc about how he loves horses that goes hand to hand in my farmer au.
Then I thought about mlp and.
Well.
Alicorn Pariah Dark.
Not literally, of course, he just takes the form of one because he loves horses, has seen both a unicorn and pegasus and decided to combine the two.
Hence results in Alicorn Pariah Dark.
Well, that's after being pardoned from his eternal rest for being a war spirit who did too much basically. Why was he excused? Because he had a change of heart, realizing the error of his ways and that forcefully unifying the Zone for a war against humanity under his tyrannical ruling was wrong?
No, not really.
Instead the Ancient of Time vouched for him, and because he's well, Time (and one of the ogs) he held a lot of sway. Enough for everyone else to take it into consideration.
Not everyone was pleased with it, but they had to shut up since Clockwork said he would take personal responsibility if Pariah decided to do too much again.
And, well. It is the Ancient of Time you know? A being that not even Pariah Dark tried in his goal to wage war against humanity, and who just left him alone for most of his conquest and only requested verbally for Clockwork to join him instead of trying physically with force?
They already know there was a reason for that, and so they take Time's word for it.
Pariah Dark, freed from eternal rest and monitored personally by time itself, decided to form himself into an alicorn (unknowingly) in an attempt at it being a disguise.
Clockwork is also an alicorn, because why the hell not.
And before you say anything, nobody told Danny that the ghost king was released from eternal rest and that Clockwork was personally monitoring said ghost king, so he's left outta the loop.
Then they (really Pariah mostly) decided to bugger off to another dimension, that dimension being that of DC. Pariah decided to mostly keep to himself and not interact with any kind of civilization. He decided to stay in a random forest in a certain area he hid with magic, obviously Clockwork came along as well.
Clockwork decided to fill his 'friend' in on all that he had missed, both in the human realm and the ghost realm because of his long absence in eternal rest.
Which would take a long, long time if he included every single little detail.
It has been eons since he last heard his beloved's voice, and it wasn't like he had anything to or had the risk of old age thanks to his immortality.
So, he had time to simply sit and listen as Clockwork recounted everything that happened after his sealing.
A while later, after countless tales they were interrupted. Pariah was prepared for a fight, while Clockwork was content to just stay behind and watch. However, contrary to both of their expectations (Clockwork isn't constantly watching the timestream here, since he left his lair) it wasn't an enemy of any great magical might.
But a human child.
Said Human child was Billy, who got separated and lost from his group during their school field trip and managed to stumble upon the barrier erected by Pariah Dark, not that he knew that.
He was warned by Solomon that the barrier was constructed by someone powerful, and if he went in to be wary of any attacks. Billy does go in after a moment's thought, his curiosity got the better of him and if it came to blows, he was prepared to turn into Shazam at any moment.
Then he met Alicorns.
Who he thought was only real in comic books, even Solomon can't tell him everything about the two beings in front of him, as Alicorns are very, very rare beings and he urged Billy to be careful and wary of the two in front of him.
Fortunately for Billy, the aggressive one backed down, seemingly bewildered by Billy. Which makes sense, really, he is a kid who just stepped through a magical barrier that was probably supposed to keep others out.
So, he tries to make friends rather than enemies here.
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five-rivers · 1 year
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Actually, on the same subject as that last post, what phandom tropes have fallen out of style?
So far, that I know of there are:
Field trip to the Ghost Zone
Into the mind
Unreasonably angry about being called Dan
Senior year glow up (sometimes with tattoos!)
'Everyone's dead, Danny' TUE-based crossovers
Ghost puberty (evil optional)
Anyone want to add on? Or dispute what I have.
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wisp-enclosure · 1 month
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So Wisp, what's this about the Catrats being in love?
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Let me preface this all by saying that Lucasta and Kudo are very good friends.
This isn't me being facetious by the way, it's a fundamental part (to me, because I'm delusional) of their 10+ year slowburn. All this elder dragon nonsense might have forced them into proximity, but it's NOT what's keeping them together.
The catrats' interests overlap; Lu's rune crafting and Kudo's research into practical magitech often go hand in hand. Kudo admires (and honestly envies) Lu's tendency towards out of the box thinking, and thinks she's brilliant. Lu, meanwhile, knows that Kudo is a certified genius and thinks that absolutely sick, and values his insight.
And it goes further than that. Kudo appreciates how kind and caring Lu is (even though he worries she sometimes goes overboard at the cost of her own comfort). Lu finds Kudo very sweet and selfless (even though him doing things for HER instead of the other way 'round makes her antsy). Kudo appreciates her unwavering support, Lu appreciates his seemingly infinite patience with her intricacies. They're similar in many ways and perfectly complement each other when they aren't.
They're both shut-ins that hate leaving the house and just want to talk about their projects together, basically.
What else?
Well, turns out they're broken in the same way too.
Kudo's destiny was never his own to write. He was going to be Kudu or he was going to be Snaff; if anything, being Kudo was more of a temporary state of being. A blank slate for other people to mold. He isn't sure there's anything to him. At least, nothing good.
Lu was born to serve. Her Legion, her father, whatever mate was picked out for her. Lu wasn't afforded the chance to find out who she was because it didn't matter. What she's supposed to be is useful. That's it.
Neither of the catrats have a solid sense of self. Different circumstances, but same core issue. And becoming commanders at such young ages certainly didn't help. They can't see who they are deep down.
But they can see each other. And they love what they see.
Lucasta and Kudo might not be sure in their own identities, but they recognize the other as clear as day. There is an unspoken understanding. It sucks, but there is a certain amount of comfort in having someone by your side that's just as lost and confused as you are.
They can't see what the other sees in them, but they do paint such a beautiful picture of it.
So when does this all happen?
Well, that depends on how you define "when" and "happen". And "this". Arguably the first time their blossoming romance starts to bubble to the surface is during HoT.
Where they're fighting for basically half the expac.
The specifics of the fight are for another lore post, but it culminates in a big blowout argument in Tarir and ends with Kudo pleading with Lu to share her burdens (both commander-related and emotional) because he cares about her dammit! Lu can't put her finger on it, but she starts to see Kudo in a slightly different light after that.
LWS3 is when things become much more obvious, because that's when the crush Kudo's unknowingly been nursing reaches its peak. He's still oblivious, of course, but he does recognize that SOMETHING is happening to him. Why is he so frustrated and jealous when Lu gets flirted with? Why does he keep staring at her when she isn't doing anything? Why is his heart racing? Is he dying? Must be.
PoF is THE BIG ONE. Arguably the most important catrat expac just by virtue of how it affects their relationship. Kudo dies. But you knew that I'm sure.
But he dies FOR LU. And as she cradles his lifeless body 300 realizations hit her at once, but they all lead to the same conclusion: she loves him. She loves him and now he's gone. It took her this long and now it's too late.
Kudo meanwhile is having his fun little field trip in the ghost zone and comes to the same realization at roughly the same time as Lu. Sacrificing yourself will do that I guess.
Okay so what's the hold up?
Me. :} Just kidding. Sort of.
You'll notice that PoF takes place halfway through the story and as of EoD they're STILL not together, what gives?
The problem is twofold.
Lu, ever reluctant to share her negative feelings at the risk of being a burden, had started to open up to Kudo after that fight in HoT. By PoF and onward he is her emotional anchor and confidant. It felt so good to not have to hide or lock up her feelings in front of someone. But that's also sort of the issue. Lu is being open but she still feels like a burden when she does it. Every time she comes to him for comfort she feels so so guilty to put him in that situation. Like a liability.
To Lu, telling Kudo how she feels is yet another of her problems he'll have to shoulder, on top of everything else he's dealing with. It's selfish. And she's not even useful to him, has nothing to offer; why would he ever love her? Not to mention the whole "different species" thing.
Kudo has his own laundry list of reasons why he's not confessing to her either. Most pressing though is that time he almost killed her. He still feels so agonizingly guilty over the whole incident years later that it makes him sick. Haunts his dreams. In what world could she possibly feel the same? He doesn't deserve her love.
So they're both stupid, basically.
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