#or with any opaque medium for that matter
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Tidbit: The “Posterization” Effect of Panels Due to the Consequences of GIF Color Quantization (and Increased Contrast (And Also The Tangential Matter of Dithering))
There’s this misconception that the color banding and patterned dithering found in panels is an entirely deliberate, calculated effect Hussie manipulated the image into looking with some specific filter, but this isn’t the case, exactly. It wasn’t so much a conscious decision he took but rather an unavoidable consequence of the medium he partook in: digital art in an age where bandwidth and storage was at a premium.
Not to delve too deeply into the history and technicalities of it, but the long and the short of it is back in the early nineties to late aughts (and even a bit further into the 10s), transferring and storing data over the web was not as fast, plentiful, and affordable as it is now. Filesize was a much more important consideration than the fidelity of an image when displaying it on the web. Especially so when you’re a hobbyist on a budget and paying for your own webhosting, or using a free service with a modest upload limit (even per file!). Besides, what good would it be to post your images online if it takes ages to load them over people's dial-up Internet? Don't even get me STARTED on the meager memory and power the average iGPU had to work with, too.
The original comic strip's resolution was a little more than halved and saved as a GIF rather than a large PNG. That's about an 82.13% reduction in filesize!
So in the early days it was very common for people to take their scans, photographs, and digital drawings and scale them down and publish them as smaller lossily compressed JPEGs or lossless GIFs, the latter of which came at the cost of color range. But it had a wider range of browser support and the feature to be used for animations compared to its successor format, PNG ("PNG's not GIF").
You'd've been hard-pressed to find Hussie use any PNGs himself then. In fact, I think literally the only times he's ever personally employed them and not delegate the artwork to a member of the art team were some of the tiny shrunken down text of a character talking far in the distance and a few select little icons.
PNGs support semi-transparency unlike GIFs, which is why Hussie used them to preserve the anti-aliasing on the text without having to add an opaque background color.
While PNGs can utilize over 16 million colors in a single image, GIFs have a hard limit of 256 colors per frame. For reference, this small image alone has 604 colors:
For those who can't do the math, 256 is a pretty damn small number.
Smaller still were the palettes in a great deal of MSPA's panels early on in its run. Amazingly, a GIF such as this only uses 7 colors (8 if you count the alpha (which it is)).
Not that they were always strictly so low; occasionally some in the later acts of Homestuck had pretty high counts. This panel uses all 256 spots available, in fact.
If he had lowered the number any smaller, the quality would have been god-awful.
To the untrained eye, these bands of color below may seem to be the result of a posterization filter (an effect that reduces smooth areas of color into fewer harsh solid regions), but it's really because the image was exported as a GIF with no dithering applied.
Dithering, to the uninitiated, is how these colors are arranged together to compensate for the paltry palette, producing illusory additional colors. There are three algorithms in Photoshop for this: Diffusion, Pattern, and Noise.
Above is the original image and below is the image reduced to a completely binary 1-bit black and white color palette, to make the effect of each dithering algorithm more obvious.
Diffusion seemingly displaces the pixels around randomly, but it uses error diffusion to calculate what color each pixel should be. In other words, math bullshit. The Floyd-Steinberg algorithm is one such implementation of it, and is usually what this type of error diffusion dithering is called in other software, or some misnomer-ed variation thereof.
The usage of Pattern may hearken back to retro video game graphics for you, as older consoles also suffered from color palette limitations. Sometimes called Ordered dithering because of the orderly patterns it produces. At least, I assumed so. Its etymological roots probably stem from more math bullshit again.
True to its name, Noise is noisy. It’s visually similar to Diffusion dithering, except much more random looking. At least, when binarized like this. Truth be told, I can’t tell the difference between the two at all when using a fuller color table on an image with a lot of detail. It was mainly intended to be used when exporting individual slices of an image that was to be “stitched” back together on a webpage, to mitigate visible seams in the dithering around the edges.
To sate your curiosity, here's how the image looks with no dithering at all:
People easily confuse an undithered gif as being the result of posterization, and you couldn't fault them for thinking so. They look almost entirely the same!
Although I was already aware of this fact when I was much younger, I'm guilty of posterizing myself while editing images back then. Figured I may as well reduce the color count beforehand to help keep the exported GIF looking as intended. I view this as a complete waste of time now, though, and amateurish. Takes away a bit of the authenticity of MSPA art, how the colors and details are so variable between panels. As for WHY they were so variable to begin with, choosing the settings to save the image as requires a judicious examination on a case-by-case basis. In other words, just playing around with the settings until it looks decent.
It's the process of striking a fine balance between an acceptable file size and a "meh, good enough" visual quality that I mentioned earlier. How many colors can you take away until it starts to look shit? Which dithering algorithm helps make it look not as shit while not totally ruining the compression efficacy?
Take, for example, this panel from Problem Sleuth. It has 16 colors, an average amount for the comic, and uses Diffusion dithering. Filesize: 34.5 KB.
Then there's this panel right afterwards. It has 8 colors (again, technically 7 + alpha channel since it's an animated gif), and uses Noise dithering this time. Filesize: 34.0 KB.
The more colors and animation frames there are, and the more complicated dithering there is, the bigger the file size is going to be. Despite the second panel having half the color count of the first, the heavily noisy dithering alone was enough to inflate the file size back up. On top of that, there's extra image information layered in for the animation, leaving only a mere 0.5 kilobyte difference between the two panels.
So why would Hussie pick the algorithm that compresses worse than the other? The answer: diffusion causes the dithering to jitter around between frames of animation. Recall its description from before, how it functions on nerd shit like math calculations. The way it calculates what each pixel's color will be is decided by the pixels' colors surrounding it, to put it simply. Any difference in the placement of pixels will cause these cascading changes in the dithering like the butterfly effect.
Diffusion dithering, 16 colors. Filesize: 25.2 KB
This isn't the case with Noise or Pattern dithering, since their algorithms use either a texture or a definite array of numbers (more boring nerd shit).
Noise dithering, 16 colors. Filesize: 31.9 KB
Pattern dithering, 16 colors. Filesize: 23.1 KB
There's a lot more I'd like to talk about, like the different color reduction algorithms, which dither algorithms generally compress better in what cases, and the upward and downward trends of each one’s use over the course of a comic, but since this isn’t a deep dive on GIF optimization, I might save that for another time. This post is already reaching further past the original scope it was meant to cover, and less than 10 images can be uploaded before hitting the limit, which is NOWHERE near enough for me. I should really reevaluate my definition of the word “tidbit”… Anyway, just know that this post suffers from sample selection bias, so while the panels above came from an early section of Problem Sleuth that generally had static panels with diffusion dithering and animated panels with noise dithering, there certainly were animated panels with diffusion later on despite the dither-jittering.
Alright, time to shotgun through the rest of this post, screw segueing. Increasing the contrast almost entirely with “Use Legacy” enabled spreads the tones of the image out evenly, causing the shadows and highlights to clip into pure black and white. The midtones become purely saturated colors. Using the Levels adjustment filter instead, moving both shadow and highlight input level sliders towards the middle also accomplishes the same thing, because, you know, linear readjustment. I'm really resisting the urge to go off on another tangent about color channels and the RGB additive color model.
Anyway, there aren't any examples in MSPA that are quite this extreme (at least in color, but I'll save that for a later post), but an image sufficiently high in contrast can be mistaken for being posterized at a glance. Hence the Guy Fieri banner. In preparation for this post, I was attempting to make a pixel-perfect recreation of that panel but hit a wall trying to figure out which and how many filters were used and what each one's settings were, so I sought the wisdom of those in the official Photoshop Discord server. The very first suggestion I got was a posterization filter, by someone who was a supposed senior professional and server moderator, no less. Fucking dipshit, there's too much detail preserved for it to be posterization. Dude totally dissed me and my efforts too, so fuck that moron. I spit on his name and curse his children, and his children's children. The philistines I have to put up with...
In the end, the bloody Guy Fieri recreation proved to be too much for me to get right. I got sort of close at times, but no cigar. These were some of the closest I could manage:
You might be left befuddled after all this, struggling to remember what the point of the blogpost even was. I had meant for it to be a clarification of GIFs and an argument against using the posterization filter, thinking it was never used in MSPA, but while gathering reference images, I found a panel from the Felt intermission that actually WAS posterized! So I’ll eat crow on this one... Whatever, it’s literally the ONE TIME ever.
I can tell it's posterization and not gif color quantization because of the pattern dithering and decently preserved details on the bomb and bull penis cane. There would have had to have been no dithering and way fewer colors than the 32, most of which were allotted to the bomb and cane. You can't really selectively choose what gets dithered or more colors like this otherwise.
Thank you for reading if you've gotten this far. That all might have been a lot to take in at once, so if you're still unclear about something, please don't hesitate to leave a question! And as always, here are the PSDs used in this post that are free to peruse.
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if you absolutely do not like coffee and you're sure of this, keep scrolling this post isn't for you. if you drink coffee and want better coffee, or you find that you only like some types of coffee, i have some advice for you.
coffee snobs do get one thing right: a burr grinder and keeping your coffee as whole beans ups your home brew game to the next level. if you brew at home, no matter what style, get a burr grinder. and get an airtight (doesnt have to be vacuum sealed, just airtight), opaque container to keep your whole beans at room temperature.
furthermore, if you like coffee but find that some are too bitter, stop buying dark roast. look at the package and find ones labeled "medium" or "light" roast. dark roast coffee is intended for espresso and people who are miserable. or maybe they just like the taste of burned beans, who knows.
lastly, measure your coffee by weight, not by scoop. beans and grounds have different densities so volumetric measurement will vary your daily cuppa coffee like wild. a scale that does grams is like $10 and you should have one in your kitchen anyways. i usually do 25 grams of coffee per 420 grams of water. because it's easy to remember and its the amount i like.
switching from a pre-ground can of dark roast to a fresh-ground, weighed portion of medium or light roast will feel like you just opened your own coffee shop. the burr grinder is the most expensive part but it's a one-time investment (barring any shitty grinders, read reviews carefully). medium and light roast beans are more expensive than folgers or what have you but not by much. the leap in quality is so much more than the price, though.
there's a million other variables that go into a good cup of cawffee but those could fill a library. some are worth tweaking, others dont make a difference, but fresh ground beans and the roast you choose is absolutely the foundation for a nice cup of joe
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Physics Friday #18: Sounds of the CMB - Baryon Acoustic Oscillations
Introduction: What Are BAOs?
It's time for colours!
Let's break down the term Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAOs) ...
A Hadron is a particle made of several quarks, a Baryon is a Hadron that contains an odd number of quarks.
Baryonic matter makes up a majority of the stable, visible matter in the universe. Both protons and neutrons are types of Baryons, so most Baryonic matter is, shockingly, atoms.
Acoustic generally has two definitions, one musicological and one scientific. Scientifically, any 'acoustic' thing involves sound. Specifically here, we're using it to discuss the production and propagation of sound.
Oscillations is a term very related to sound, if you read my posts on the mechanics of sound, oscillations, waves, periodic motion, are all the same phenomena.
Here, an acoustic oscillation is just a looping/repeated physical motion in a medium, like plasma.
Thus, putting everything together, a BAO is the physical motion in a plasma of hydrogen/helium, caused by the propagation of sound waves.
How do they form?
After the era of nucleosynthesis, but before the era of recombination, the universe was full of an opaque plasma of hydrogen/helium.
Sound waves require something that can create both a compression and expansion of this plasma, causing a pressure wave. A force that can pull things together and push things apart.
Thankfully, gravity is a great mechanism to pull things together. All that is required is a few thousand years, and some already pre-existing variations in density to get going.
So this plasma, in more dense regions, begin to pull more matter into those regions, creating a self-reinforcing cycle.
But how do we create the effect of expansion?
This plasma, is, well, hot. Very hot. And because it's everywhere, there's a lot of radiation being constantly emitted and re-absorbed.
When you begin to concentrate a lot of plasma into one location (thanks to gravity), you also concentrate the release of radiation.
Moreover, the speed the plasma accrues when it starts falling into the dense regions will also give it more energy, causing even more radiation to be released.
The effect is that in these denser clouds of gas, more radiation is produced. This produces a radiation pressure, which attempts to force atoms out of the dense regions.
Because of the every-where-ness of this plasma, the radiation pressure is strong enough to completely counteract gravity in some cases.
This generates sound waves, created by the constant tug-of-war between radiation pressure and gravity. These sound waves propagate throughout the early universe.
In Comes Dark Matter
Dark matter is predicted to represent a majority of the matter in our universe, because it is dark, it does not experience radiation pressure.
But because it still has mass, it does experience gravity. This means that the dark matter will stay within the denser regions without rebounding at all.
The dark matter within these regions are what allow regular matter to constantly fall in and out. Without it, the radiation pressure would blow apart the region and it'd become devoid of matter.
Freezing Things in Place
Suddenly, the universe cools to a point where, near simultaneously, matter cools to the point that it can exist as a gas rather than plasma.
Unlike plasma, gas does not absorb all forms of electromagnetic radiation. This is because electrons are now bound to their respective atoms.
This means that radiation pressure no longer comes into effect, and any radiation emitted at the moment of this cooling is free to travel across the universe.
The newly freed radiation is what we see in the CMB - but there's something important about it. It records a single snapshot of the current state of the sound waves propagating in the universe.
Imagine you have a high-speed camera and take a photo of a guitar string being plucked. At that very instant you can see the wave frozen in place, and can use that to determine it's properties.
Image Credit: Reddit
The remaining oscillations in the matter freeze too, allowing for the formation of our modern galaxy clusters, galaxies, and even stars.
How we Look at the Sound
Using the image of the CMB, we can measure the ripples of the sound waves using a Fourier analysis of the temperature gradients.
The temperature is used because it correlates to regions of high or low density, of course, the hotter a location is in space, the more matter managed to get in there, thus releasing more stuff.
A Fourier analysis is a very common technique in sound measurements. It takes any arbitrary mathematical function, and converts it into a frequency spectrum.
A Fourier analysis. On the top, the original signal, on the bottom, the signal's frequency spectrum
Image Credit: The Mathematics of Waves and Materials Blog
We can conduct a Fourier analysis in two dimensions as well, we just perform two applications of the Fourier transform, but in two directions.
A 2D Fourier analysis. On the left, the original image, on the right, the image's 2D frequency spectrum
Image Credit: Python Coding Block
We can then take this 2D image and plot it on a graph of the distance from the centre.
Applying the analysis and the plotting function to an image of the CMB we get this graph here:
Note that 'Multipole moment' is, for the sake of simplicity, a frequency spectrum
Image Credit: Report of the Dark Energy Task Force, 2006
The above image is referred to as the power spectrum of the BAOs.
Adding constraints to Dark Matter/Energy
Dark Matter and Matter Density
The BAOs at the moment of them freezing become an incredibly useful measurement for the propagation of Dark Matter and Dark Energy.
Of course, dark matter is built into the equation, as they form a necessary component of the gravity force pulling things in. We can use the relative strength and period of the oscillations to estimate the amount of dark matter and it's ratio to Baryonic Matter.
Curvature
We can also use our graph for a second purpose: measuring the curvature of our universe.
You see, given the fact that our galaxies and galaxy clusters eventually end up forming from those regions of dense gas, and given that we know how 'far away' the CMB is (thanks to redshift).
We should know the approximate size of these dense gas regions in the CMB, given a certain curvature.
This will appear on our power spectrum as the shift in our graph, the location of our peaks along the x-axis.
In a universe that is hyperbolic, we should expect the density blobs to be small, and in a spherical universe, blobs that are larger. What we end up seeing is approximately a flat curvature.
Dark Energy
Now, thirdly, we can estimate the density of dark energy in our universe.
We can get this easily by measuring both matter density and curvature, as the two are related to the dark matter density.
But, we can also estimate it directly from analysing the power spectrum directly.
Dark energy affects the expansion of spacetime via the Friedmann equation, controlling for matter density, we can use the equation to quantify the Hubble parameter.
The size of the Hubble parameter, relative to our current Hubble constant, can be measured from the fact that the BAOs provide a standard measure of distance.
By analysing the power spectrum, we can effectively work backwards to derive a measurement for the Hubble parameter, and thus the presence of dark energy in the early universe.
Conclusion
Surprisingly a shorter-ish post this time, good on me.
Anyways I'll probably take a break for next week, as it's Christmas. Outside of that, I don't really know what else to say.
Follow if you want more, gib feedback on my post, and comment/repost your thoughts!
See ya later!
#physics friday#stem#academics#stemblr#science#physics#astronomy#astrophysics#cosmic microwave background
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So what's your LEAST favorite pigment?
oooooh... let me see.
i don't think i have any one particular pigment that i dislike ALL of the time—watercolor can be temperamental, and the difference between using a transparent vs opaque color really can change the entire experience. they even dry differently, depending on what color you're using and with what materials. i can't really speak to oils or acrylics though since i've only used those in passing. (i do want to get into oils at some point... it's a gorgeous medium.)
if i absolutely had to pin down a specific pigment or pigment type that i don't particularly enjoy using myself, it... miiight be the cadmiums? yellow, red, orange, it doesn't matter. i know a lot of artists love them to death and they're even a staple on a lot of palettes, but the opacity and toxicity of them just puts them lower down on the list of the pigments i would usually reach for. (as long as you aren't eating them or inhaling the pigment itself handling cadmiums is usually okay-ish, but i prefer to err on the side of caution.)
that's not to say that i outright hate them, i've used them once or twice. but if i have an alternative to cadmium red (pr108) on hand like pyrol red (pr254) or something, i'd rather reach for that. especially since it can make cleaner mixes! (colors that are really opaque tend to get muddy easier, which is also the reason people hear 'don't mix with white, just dilute it' all the time. pyrol red is still opaque, but yk.)
for a while, cadmiums and the like were the only way you could get really true, lightfast and vibrant colors of whatever category they occupied, but there are so many other alternatives now that i find fun to explore and more comfortable to work with.
that said, it makes more sense in general to just play it by ear and see what colors speak to you. pr206 isn't exactly a perfect all-purpose mixing red, but that doesn't stop it from being one of my favorite colors of all time lol. and warmer reds do have a much smaller selection than cooler toned reds do!
(also, not a huge fan of colors that are incredibly hard to rewet, like true viridian (pg18) or potters pink (pr233) even if i do find their shades delicately pretty and really unique. working with them can be frustrating if you aren't using them directly from the tube. some brands are better about that than others though! and both of those are kind of bad examples anyway bc i think they're gorgeous when allowed to granulate on cold or rough press paper, in mixes or on their own.
ultramarine blue (pb29) sometimes has a similar issue actually, but the color is so intense that it remains a staple for me anyway lol. sucker for certain classics ig.)
#ney's art tips (art questions)#ney's chatter (ask answers)#a lot of companies try to find alternatives to cadmiums in their professional lines these days#which is interesting#especially since they tend to be such expensive pigments and some artists seek them out intentionally depending on their style#but that's kind of the cool part about things like this. people have their own chosen tools of the trade that work for their own methods#just because i don't reach for cadmiums personally (for both my wallet and my love of transparent colors) doesn't make them bad altogether#all of you just indulging my ancient pigment fixation you're really so sweet ;;
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I am absolutely not leaving Tumblr (I’ll rot here, it’ll rot here with me). I am interested in diversifying my social media presence, given:
Elon Musk bought Twitter and is destroying it quickly.
Tumblr is currently owned by Automattic and I don’t know their 10+ year plan
At least a good handful of folks enjoy my social media rambles (hi!)
insurance that if Musk or someone like him buys Tumblr (there is no evidence of this happening, I am preparing for an unforeseeable future), I’ll have spent the years between Right Now and Then in building up another channel.
I’ve been noodling slowly a pinterest account (link) that I’ve had for ages and forgot about until #1 on the above list.
To satisfy #3 on the above list, a key learning I’m finding: do not pin items from the Tumblr dash.
They link to the dash, not the post itself, in testing. A more useful path seems to be:
Going to a Tumblr’s archive
Selecting “Post type: Photo”
Clicking through the desired images to pin, opening them in a new window each
On each individual page, pinning.
In testing, this has preserved the link.
Depending on one’s strategy, you could reblog lots and lots, then go to your OWN archive, and pin from there. This is more work than benefit as I currently see things.
The path of discovery (someone finds pin on my board -> clicks pin -> they have a Tumblr account -> that they are logged into -> and thus follow my Tumblr account -> for future benefit to me) is long, convoluted, and likely extremely rarely successful.
A more reasonable path of discovery: I find a Tumblr that has a neat collection of stuff -> I browse their archive for 5-10 minutes and open a series of image posts -> I pin them to my Pinterest boards -> a third party stumbles across my Pinterest account -> they follow my Pinterest -> there is a future benefit to me.
It would be useful in extreme casual pinning to have an accurate Tumblr dashboard -> Pinterest board link, but ultimately any benefit is washed out with the above process of archive browsing allowing a significantly targeted approach. It’s a guesstimate but more pins are created in a shorter amount of time.
Yay efficiency!
There are automation services (such as IFTTT) that could handle the above fairly easily, but I do not like that many leaks in systems. The security risk of being hacked is increased in response to a tiny, marginal benefit.
None of the above processes takes into consideration “the best time” to pin in order to increase discovery -- that is, “make sure you are pinning between 9 AM to 2 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays!” (this is a fictional example, not advice on times to pin/blog/etc.)
I hold very minimal weight to "best time to...” social media advice. More effective:
Buy ad space on cheap networks.
Partner with people who have a following -- do not focus purely on people with a large following; diversify between tiny, small, medium, and large followings -- that legitimately like your product, or, introduce your product, send them a sample, and if they genuinely like it, discuss doing business.
And create frequently. Large stuff, medium stuff, quick/simple stuff.
The experience of others is bound to vary as none of this makes inherent sense, but trying to trace “XYZ are the best times to promote!” are far too costly in light of user behavior, opaque social algorithms, and both the monetary and opportunity cost spent in researching said “best times” to promote -- which are going to constantly shift.
(pours two glasses of root beer)
and thus concludes another session of “they call me atty, your exceptionally odd former marketing/advertising forum host.”
Since we’re chatting about pinterest, follow good ol’ evil Netherworld Post via this link.
The general subject matter will be the same as most of my rambles: monsters, queer monsters, and queer monsters kissing queer monsters.
#small business#small business social media#small business marketing#small business social media marketing
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Three of Cups. Art by Kim Thompson, from Divine Your Dinner.
FINDING FAMILY
A bond is forming between you and a small group of close friends. You’ve created a safe zone where you can be loved and accepted for exactly who you are, supported no matter what. These are the shoulders you cry on and the eyes whose tears you dry, the first people you call with important news. This is your chosen family. Treat them like the precious gold they are.
If you need a little jump-start on how to show your fam you love them, may we suggest this lovely shrimp-based snack? It is both delicious and nutritious. And by nutritious, we mean dusted with magick to make sure those bonds keep you as tightly glued to each other as you’re going to be to the bowl.
MAGICKAL INGREDIENTS: CILANTRO, GARLIC, SCALLION, SERRANO PEPPER, FRESNO CHILE, CELERY, SESAME OIL, CHILI OIL, MITSUBA
TIGER SALAD “CEVICHE”
SNACK—SERVES 2 TO 4
Tiger salad is a Northern Chinese dish also called lao hu cai. Somewhere between a salad and a condiment, it usually consists of lots of herbs and chiles chopped together with some vinegar, and is used to brighten any dish. This is a light, crisp, and refreshing take on lao hu cai with lots of garlicky, buttery hunks of shrimp added to it. And “ceviche” is in quotes because the shrimp in this recipe is cooked over heat, instead of with acidity, which is how the raw seafood in a traditional ceviche is “cooked.”
Serve chilled or at room temperature scooped onto chips or the Rosemary Salt(ines) (this page). It’s perfect for snacking on the couch while basking in the glow of the television.
HOT TIP: IF YOU CAN’T FIND MITSUBA, YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE A 1:1 RATIO OF ITALIAN PARSLEY AND CHERVIL. THE DISH WILL STILL BE GREAT, BUT SERIOUSLY, TRY TO FIND MITSUBA IF YOU CAN.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)
Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup finely diced Persian (mini) cucumber
1 scallion, dark green tops only, finely chopped
1 small serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red Fresno chile, seeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves
5 large shiso leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped mitsuba
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
Chili oil (optional), for serving
Tortilla chips or Rosemary Salt(ines) (this page), for serving
1. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp all over with salt, then add them to the skillet in one layer and cook on one side until browned on the bottom and slightly opaque, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, toss, and cook 1 minute more, until completely opaque.
2. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and let cool for 10 minutes. Chop them into ¼-inch pieces, then mix them with the garlicky butter in the skillet. Transfer to a bowl and let cool in the fridge.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cucumber, scallion greens, serrano, Fresno chile, celery, celery leaves, shiso, mitsuba, cilantro, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt.
4. Add the shrimp and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt as needed. Drizzle some chili oil on top (if using) and serve with tortilla chips or Rosemary Salt(ines) (this page). Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
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Maybe a little late to the party, but Seteth and/or Hawks for the character bingo?
Thank you for breaking the seal, my friend. I have been dying to give my thoughts on this character.
Just for context, the less opaque lilies is just me being a little facetious. Not here to make completely objective, absolute judgements; just here to have a good time. They're there just because I can't like a favorite character a normal amount.
His design? *chef's kiss* A delightfully balanced, simple-yet-ornate, straightforward, appealing masculine character design! The back of the cape, robe (sorry, folks, it clearly takes inspiration from the cassock, but for me it's a little too different from a standard cassock to call it that) and boots are all dark, creating a solid, imposing silhouette. The length of both cape and robe - and specifically from the front with the light cape lining - modestly shows off his conventionally attractive masculine figure.
No matter the wide, medium, or close up shots of him in any given scene you'll find all of these light, little ornament details that are not too distracting but are nonetheless elegant and sensibly placed. Assuming he's chosen to dress this way for himself as it's not like any uniform we've seen in the game, it's quite the interesting insight.
From a writing standpoint - he's so constantly full of little surprises?! Especially if you played Crimson Flower first, it's easy to get this overly stern, controlling, stubborn, intolerant, and insensitive impression of him; and it feels like a lot of players may have gotten stuck there because they didn't realize you have to read a lot into where he comes from and the person he used to be to really get the full scope of his character and how he thinks. Even as far back when you get his and Flayn's paralouge mission and notice his interrogations of Rhea in the school phase, the veil begins to lift if you pay attention.
He particularly shines in Silver Snow by virtue of being Byleth's advisor, and we get a lot of extra personal insight into him in that route that we don't get in any other - rarely ever directly or completely controlling tactical plans but nonetheless being indispensable and diligent in his role, lacking key information that we would assume he'd be privy to, proposing the single most culture-shaking lore drop of any character in the series (of which he was the single most diligent person hiding it up to that point) because the secrets cause nothing but trouble, and so on.
And the best part about it all is that it's easy to perceive him as this great, unflappable, pedestal-worthy mythical figure until you look a little closer and realize he was just Some Guy™ working at what was a random church at the time (maybe he was a priest?) who didn't get Thanos-snapped off the map when the rest of his species got nuked in a single night.
He is ultimately a very boring and straightforward person who has done awe-inspiring, difficult, and unbelievable things because he had to, and that's very sexy of him.
AND DON'T GET ME STARTED on how well his faith and spirituality is woven into who he is and why he does the things he does. The man has lost functionally everything from his old life and has basically given up any hope at living a happy, peaceful life with the much long-lasting companionship he craves to have.
Enter Byleth, this scraggly little nobody weirdo who shows up out of nowhere and turns the monastery on its head, magically fuses with THE Goddess, takes on major species identifiers that he assumed he'd never see again, drops off the face of the earth for five years after a major battle that changed the tide of history, and then she (I personally view F!Byleth as canon) just shows up one day again and says, "Hi! Sorry I was out. Fell asleep."
"Yes, yes that right. You fell asleep after sustaining heavy damage. Never woke up until you were done. Hey, it happens! Good to see you, by the way, want to help end a war? Oh thank you, Sothis, for the first break I've had in a millennium and it's a damn good one!" It's a wonder he didn't faint on the spot.
Things in life hit a little different when you're fundamentally religious in a way that can be hard to communicate. I rarely get to see that written very well so to see it in Seteth is quite the treat. He's a character whose historical plaque says, "It is said that he was a compassionate yet stern figure whose faith was so true he was able to perform miracles." yet you first meet him you can tell he's actively in the middle of a crisis of faith if you know where to look. By choosing to befriend him and develop him as a unit and a character, you help him grow and heal and move on in a way that's so respectful to him as a hypothetical person; and it was treated with so much care, particularly his religious world view, that it was especially moving to me and something I'm kind of sad I haven't seen discussed in the bits and pieces of fandom I've found so far. (Might get to see more with the new game!!!! *rubs hands together*)
Charming, intriguing, delightful, emotive, intelligent, compassionate, flawed, reasonable, fascinating, surprisingly relatable. Seteth gets an S rank with me. (And an S-support, too.)
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ELEVATE YOUR STYLE: G&Y WOMEN’S SHEER TIGHTS
Introduction:
G&Y is a renowned clothing brand known for its stylish and contemporary designs, delivering a perfect blend of fashion, comfort, and quality.
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A Review Of G&Y
I got 1-2 wears out of each pair of stockings before they ran, ripped, and stretched out. One pair ripped at work, the next pair ran when I put them on for the first time, the third pair lasted 2 wears and there were spots that were stretched out in odd places. If I’m walking and sitting, the hips/thighs become loose and I can feel that they’re sliding down. I wore a mini with one pair of stockings and after a few hours, the crotch area was down to my mid thigh. Looks and feels so strange. The fabric itself is a little shiny? I thought I was just being rough on them or that only pricier stockings actually hold up, so I didn’t bother leaving a review. But, I picked up a different pair of stockings for $4 and they’re still holding up so well. No runs, no sagging to mid thigh, no rips. And I’ve washed them several times. The material is matte and smooth. I don’t have to stress at work because they keep falling down or that I might have to walk around the office with a giant run down my leg (which actually happened to me. Shipping was fast, so if you just need a pair asap, these may work for you. Just don’t expect them to last or feel comfortable on you.
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Use NFT to Buy Real Estate Across Borders! The World's Top Digital Currency Trading Platform CAD Stands Out!
CAD uses blockchain technology to create a simple and transparent real estate investment platform, giving more people the opportunity to participate in cross-border real estate investment and allowing high-quality resource holders and operators to stand out.
Currently, the total value of developed real estate in the world is close to $500 trillion US Dollars, and global real estate accounts for about 85% of the total value of mainstream asset assets. Real estate has become a hotspot investment for investors. And what kind of sparks will be created by combining blockchain technology, the world economic system and real estate?
The CAD global real estate investment and trading platform focuses on Turkish real estate transactions as the entry point, and uses blockchain technology to create a decentralized trading platform to solve the pain points of the traditional real estate industry such as difficulty in raising funds and opaque links.
In the traditional real estate investment, real estate investment trust fund is one of the main means for developers to raise funds from the public. However, trust funds often face difficulties in raising funds, opaque income status, and layer upon layer deprivation of profits. At the same time, ordinary individual investors cannot easily invest across borders due to geographical restrictions. Various reasons limit the fundraising and development of investment projects.
With the popularity and development of the Metaverse concept, more and more companies are starting to find business opportunities in it. CAD will map physical assets to digital assets CAD/NFT, allowing investors to own unique and irreplaceable assets, which can be sold or exchanged at any time by saving them in a digital wallet. This approach has aroused the attention and imagination of global investors. Many people believe that this approach will not only dominate the future form of digital real estate transactions, but will also break the boundaries between reality and virtuality.
CAD uses blockchain technology to create a decentralized platform that links global investors and real estate assets. No matter retail and large investors can invest in real estate projects on this platform. On this platform, NFT will serve as an investment medium for investors, linked to land, real estate and other projects under CAD Global. Users can choose to hold coins to invest in real estate. At the same time, in addition to transactions, NFT can also activate services at different nodes of the CAD platform.
NFT gives unique attributes and identities to digital assets, and is a modern transaction method to protect the rights and interests of digital assets. In CAD, NFT can be used as a digital asset representing real estate. It establishes a link between smart contracts and physical objects, linking the encryption computing power in the real world, the virtual world in the metaverse, and the circulation between intermediaries, thereby realizing digital real estate transactions.
Currently, there are 4 types of NFT properties available for sale on the CAD official website, namely HP1 (NFT), V1 (NFT), V2 (NFT), and V3 (NFT), with a total issuance number of 72,450. It is understood that the properties now traded on the platform were developed by the team themselves. With the sale of NFT, the funds obtained will be reinvested in real estate to continuously replenish new projects.
Real estate is a labor-intensive and procurement-intensive industry. From the purchase and lease of land to the procurement of various construction and decoration materials, to the selection and subcontracting of construction teams, problems such as man-made shoddy goods and false cost reporting may be encountered. CAD enables each investor to track information on investment, construction, sales, property management, rental and sales income and profits of each project to improve information transparency and reduce fraud in procurement.
In addition, CAD is developed based on smart contracts and builds a system by combining on-chain and off-chain methods. Smart contracts will lock both project investment parties and deposits during the transaction process, reduce the risk of real estate project divestment midway, and automatically help the observant party obtain compensation from the defaulting party when one party breaches the contract. At the same time, due to the complexity of cross-border real estate transactions, the use of smart contracts will also simplify the cross-border transaction process, reduce human abnormal intervention, and improve the efficiency of fund use.
The implementation of CAD is very forward-looking and exploratory, taking the lead in laying the foundation in blockchain technology, NFT assets, virtual world, etc., and depicting the future of digital real estate. It is believed that in the near future, more and more people will turn their attention to CAD for real estate investment, and NFT will become the top priority in digital real estate transactions.
Connect us
Website https://landcret.com
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Diamond Earrings: The Most Classy Accessory.
When it pertains to style and also course nothing beats diamond jewelry. With their brilliant shimmer as well as attractive simplicity ruby earrings appear nearly magical. One of one of the most lovely pieces of precious jewelry you can possess, Loose Lab grown diamond jewelry are likewise really flexible. You can use them anywhere, at anytime. Wear your ruby jewelry with evening wear to an expensive dinner celebration, of with blue jeans as well as a weaved sweatshirt to a mid-day outing. It is this versatility that makes ruby earrings so special. As well as with numerous designs to choose from they are easy to personalize to your very own individual style.
The ideal ruby earrings for you:.
One of the most important point to keep in mind when selecting your diamond earrings is that high quality programs. Poor quality ruby jewelry, far from making you look good, as a matter of fact eliminate from your natural charm. Higher quality is commonly worth the additional money.
When looking for top quality ruby jewelry you first must consider the diamond studs being made use of. Bear in mind the four C's of diamond top quality: cut, quality, shade, and carat weight.
The cut of a ruby is critical. More than any kind of various other attribute, it is the cut that makes a diamond dazzling and also attractive. To tell if a ruby stud has a good cut just consider it as well as see if it reflects the light uniformly and remarkably. If you see dark areas after that the ruby has actually been reduced as well deep. If the diamond shows up opaque after that it has been reduced also shallow. 1 carat diamond ring earrings with badly reduced diamonds will show up bull as well as lifeless. But if the rubies are reduced well your diamond earrings will certainly shine remarkably.
No less important is the clarity of the diamonds in your ruby jewelry. The quality of a diamond is evaluated by the number of incorporations, or flaws, can be seen in it. Obvious imperfections in a ruby stud will mar its appeal as well as transform the method it mirrors light. For this reason you want to keep away from rubies graded "I3" or lower. All diamonds rated SI2 or higher are "eye clean", suggesting no imperfections can be seen by the naked eye. Ruby studs rated I1 or I2 have a little noticeable inclusions, but stand for a great worth, particularly in diamond jewelry, as the inclusions will come to be much less noticeable when taken into the setup.
Also very vital is the shade of the rubies. The finest as well as most valuable rubies are absolutely anemic. The GIA rates ruby color on a range from D to Z, with D being definitely anemic and also Z being definitely yellow. D through F diamonds are one of the most costly, but the majority of professionals agree that rubies in the H-I range show up anemic when mounted, making them a far better worth for diamond earrings.
One last point to look at when purchasing ruby jewelry is carat weight. Carat weight dimension has nothing whatsoever to do with quality, and also whatever to do with amount. Of course larger diamond studs will have an extra dramatic effect, however larger isn't always better. You need to just take carat dimension right into account where it concerns the rate range you fit with.
Where is the very best area to purchase ruby earrings:.
To obtain an idea of the different styles and also costs that are offered in ruby earrings it is easier to view them online before searching at local precious jewelry stores.
For More Info
Retail jewelry experts will certainly carry a small to medium selection of ruby earrings, but you will discover a higher option online. Simply kind "diamond earrings" into a Web internet search engine like Google or Yahoo and also you will certainly find a number of reliable web sites that specialize in ruby earrings.
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Benefits of Pallet Wrapping: Securing Loads
The number of worldwide shipments has seen a drastic increase in recent times all thanks to the power of the internet. But what has also been used more than ever before is palletising. Also known as pallet wrapping is a practice where numerous items are placed on a pallet and secured with what is known as pallet wrap film.
Palletising items ensures not only the placement of the items but also keeps them protected from external factors. You may not keep items safe from heavy impacts but you will at least keep them dry and clean when using pallet wrap film. By pallet wrapping loads you also help improve inventory control. But how does the material used for palletising ensure proper load containment?
Pallet Wrap
What is It?
This plastic stretchable film is made from LLDPE. Pallet wrapping film is commonly see-through so that the items on the pallet are easier to identify. You can also find quality pallet wrap products that come with subtle colours to them or ones that are fully opaque.
Benefits
Because of its core ingredient, wrap stretch film is extremely durable and waterproof for its weight. In fact, wrap film is one of the lightest products you can use for load containment. It comes in different thicknesses, stretch levels, as well as sizes so that you can provide proper load containment for any pallet no matter the shape and size of the load. This level of versatility also transcends into the use of various pallet wrap film products.
Types of Pallet Wrap
Cast
Manufactured thanks to an extrusion process, a cast stretch wrap is best known for its clarity and ease of use. You can clearly see what the material is keeping in place and you don't need to use a lot of force to apply this type of product. Cast stretch film is quite affordable and it doesn't make a lot of noise when unwrapping items. Keep in mind though, that cast stretch wrap is not able to hold a lot of items, especially not heavy ones.
Blown
With blown stretch wrap you can wrap more items as well as heavier ones than you could with cast stretch wrap. Blown stretch film also has a higher tear resistance which is beneficial when you want to secure items with sharp corners. This is because blown stretch wrap is made by extruding the melted plastic through an annular slit die.
This is done in a vertical manner which helps form a thin wallet tube. Then, air is introduced through an opening in the centre of the die which blows up the film tube just like you would a balloon. There is an air ring on top of the film tube that blows onto the film in order to cool it down and thus solidify it.
Light-Duty
This is a general-purpose pallet stretch wrap that has a low thickness level. This makes light-duty pallet wrap film ideal for palletising well-stacked loads that are made up of similarly shaped boxes.
Medium-Duty
A little bit more robust than light-duty pallet stretch wrap film, medium-duty stretch wrap is usable with loads that are made up of some irregularly shaped boxes. These usually include poster boxes.
Heavy-Duty
If you want to be able to palletise any load no matter the shape of the boxes or sharp edges, go with heavy-duty stretch wrap. This is an extremely robust stretch wrap that can handle boxes with edge guards as well as corner protectors.
How to Use Pallet Wrap
Stack
Proper load containment starts from the arrangement of the items you want to palletise. Make sure to stack your goods so that they aren't sticking out. Just like playing a game of Tetris, try to go for as uniform of a shape as possible.
Make sure there are no gaps between items, and if you can't seem to avoid that you should use anti-slip layer sheets to prevent any movement. If the items move a lot they can end up compromising the wrap. Larger and heavier items should be at the bottom while smaller and lighter items should be more at the top or middle.
Attach
Once you've found the right type of pallet wrap, peel a little bit off the roll and squeeze about 20 cm of the wrap in the shape of a loose rope. This “rope” will need to be threaded through and around a corner of the pallet. This way you will secure the wrap to the pallet and make for a more stable load containment.
Wrap
Next, start wrapping the film around the load from the base. Make sure to keep a consistent stretch of the film while going around the load. This will make for stable and secure placpallet stretch wrapement of the film and thus prevent items from moving or falling off. You should wrap around the base of the pallet at least 4 times.
Once the base is covered, make your way up slowly so that every layer overlaps the one before it. When you reach the top of the load, start making your way down to the base so that you make the load more secure. This is not a must but you should do it if the load needs to be more stable.
Secure & Test
When you're done wrapping the load the second time around make sure to stick the end of the wrap to the pallet or you can also tuck it under one of its edges. This way you add a second layer of security.
To make sure everything is stable and safely in place, make sure to test the load by pushing the upper portion. If the load doesn't feel loose then you have nothing to worry about.
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A work in progress
#its my first portrait with oils!!#or with any opaque medium for that matter#its not easy :')#art#my art#oil painting#painting#i toned my canvas a bit to dark :'(#but its alright am working with it#portraits#portrait#oil portrait
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RECIPE: Apple Tarte Tatin (from Home Style Cookery by Matty Matheson)
If your apples aren’t glowing orbs of caramel-glazed perfection, then I’m sorry, but start over. Tarte Tatin should be almost an opaque mandarin orange in color, and if it’s gray, mealy soft, and flat then your apples were shit and your caramel was not hot. You have to make tarte Tatin hot and the apples have to be perfect. They don’t have to be perfectly sliced and fitted into the pan—even mine is not perfect in formation. The consistency is what’s key and what really matters. This is perfect with a slice of cold sharp Cheddar or a really good vanilla bean ice cream . . . or both, really.
Serves: 6 to 8
Prep time: 2 hours and 10 minutes
For the pâte brisée:
1⅓ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (180 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
⅓ cup (75 ml) sour cream
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water to make egg wash
For the caramel:
½ cup (110 g) granulated sugar
For the apples:
4 pounds (about 9 small) Granny Smith apples or any kind of baking apple
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup (120 ml) Devonshire clotted cream, for serving
Make the pâte brisée: In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Blend the cold butter into the flour mixture with a hand mixer to get a grainy texture with the butter forming into pea-size bits. Add the sour cream and mix, lifting and turning the mixture with a spatula to prevent some spots from becoming wetter than others. Add water one spoonful at a time until the mixture holds when pressed between your fingers. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
On a clean floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch (6 mm) thick. Place on a baking sheet and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
Make the caramel: Put 2 tablespoons water into a heavy-bottomed pot. Cover with the sugar, place over medium-low heat, and heat until the sugar dissolves. Don’t stir, as this can cause the sugar to crystallize. Turn up heat to medium-high and heat until the sugar starts to turn golden brown and turns to caramel, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour the caramel into a 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet to coat the bottom and allow to cool. The caramel will set and harden.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make the apples: Peel, seed, and cut the core out of the apples with a melon baller, then cut the apples into quarters, leaving 1 half-apple slice for the center apple. Place the apples in a bowl of water with the lemon juice as you cut them to prevent browning.
Remove the apples from the lemon water and transfer onto the hardened caramel in the skillet. Line the inside rim of the skillet with apple quarters, packing them in tightly, then make a second compact ring moving toward the center. Place the half piece of apple peeled skin side down in the center of the skillet.
Take the pâte brisée out of the fridge. Place the dough on top of the apples and use a small sharp knife to cut off excess dough all the way around the outside of the skillet so the dough is flush with the rim.
Brush the top of the dough with an even layer of egg wash edge to edge. Place the tarte Tatin in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and some caramel is bubbling up around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Place a serving plate on top of the tarte Tatin and gently hold it against the crust. Make a quick flipping motion, place on the table, and remove the skillet to reveal the glistening apple orbs.
Serve warm, with a dollop of Devonshire clotted cream.
Chef Matty Matheson follows up his New York Times bestseller with an even bigger book that is all about quality home cooking.
Matty returns with 135 of his absolute favorite recipes to cook at home for his family and friends, so you can cook them for the people you love. Home Style Cookery is his definitive guide to mastering your kitchen, covering everything from pantry staples (breads, stocks, and pickles) to party favorites (dips, fried foods, and grilled meats), to weeknight go-tos (stews, pastas, salads), and special occasion show-stoppers (roasts, smoked meats, and desserts). It starts with basics like Molasses Bread in an Apple Juice Can, Beef and Bone Marrow Stock, Kitchen Sink Salad, Thanksgiving Stuffing Butternut Squash, and the tallest Seven-Layer Dip you have ever seen. Next it covers comforting recipes like Littleneck Clam Orecchiette, Pho Ga, Sichuan Newfoundland Cod, Double Beef Patty Melt with Gruyere and Molasses Bread, and Matty’s take on the ultimate Submarine sandwich. And it closes with bangers like Fish Sticks with Kewpie Tartar Sauce, Salt Crust Leg of Lamb and Yukon Golds with Creamed Spinach, Texas-Style Prime Rib, T-bone Steak and Fine Herb Chimichurri, and Lobster Thermidor with Bearnaise and Salt and Vinegar Chips. It even has desserts like his wife Trish’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and Creme Caramel.
In Home Style Cookery, Matty shares his bold style of cooking. Along with beautiful photographs of Matty’s dishes and his farm, this book is filled with signature recipes that are equal parts approachable and tasty. Matty’s first book shared his culinary story, Home Style Cookery will help you build yours.
For more information, click here.
#abramsbooks#abrams books#home style cookery#matty matheson#matty matheson a cookbook#matty matheson home style cookery#tarte tatin#apple tarte tatin#recipe#free recipe
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Hands
MASTERLIST
Happy Monday! What better way to start the week than with some Spencer smut? Huge thanks to the anon who requested this based on a Spencer’s hands post I reblogged. WHEW did I get a bit carried away with writing this though, not that I regret that. His hands are just amazing aren’t they? Hope this fic makes you guys’ Mondays, just a bit better. Happy reading!
Spencer Reid/Reader
Rating: M (smut)
Word Count: 3,821
Fidgeting.
Tapping.
Pointing.
Motioning.
Never staying still.
Repeat.
Spencer Reid had the most glorious hands, ever.
When you first started your job at the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, the only thing you’d anticipated was the hard work you’d have to do to fill big shoes.
You had been hired as the Unit’s Press Liaison after Jennifer Jareau, the Unit’s previous Press Liaison, decided to become a profiler. It was an overwhelming offer because JJ had been one hell of a wonderful liaison. The only thing you’d been worried about was living up to the expectations she’d left behind.
What you didn’t expect was your gradual sexual attraction to and crush on Dr. Spencer Reid. Or an intense appreciation for his hands.
You couldn’t believe you had such a thing for them. It was incredibly difficult when you worked with him, as well.
They always managed to attract your attention.
He was always doing something with them. Whether it was fidgeting with a pen, fingers playing with a rubber band, hands gesturing while he explained something or sliding down a page of text as he read, your eyes always returned to them time and time again.
You didn’t have small hands by any means, but his hands were large, most likely twice the size of yours. You could hold your hand up to his in comparison and he’d be able to engulf his in yours.
There were prominent veins on the backs of his hands, something that was incredibly sexy although you couldn’t say why. His fingers were long and slender, clouding your thoughts on the daily, no matter how much you tried to stay professional.
Just the other day you had been presenting a case to the team.
“Chandler, Arizona needs our help.”
You clicked the remote, grisly pictures appearing on the screen.
“Two bodies have been found, exactly one month apart.”
“They look like they’re sleeping,” JJ noted with a frown.
“No blood, no wounds, it all looks relatively clean,” Spencer added, twirling a pencil in his fingers.
You gritted your teeth, forcing yourself to look away. You wished like all get out that he’d stop doing that.
“Wait a minute, is that frostbite on the edges of their fingers?” Rossi asked.
“Yeah, I see it too,” Spencer said, looking back at the pictures in his file.
His fingers tapped the areas where the frostbite was most present, absentmindedly gliding over the pictures.
You would be lying if you said you hadn’t had constant fantasies about those hands on you, those fingers tangled in your hair, his fingers buried—
“Y/N?”
You snapped out of your thoughts, facing your boss Emily Prentiss who had asked you a question that you’d completely missed.
“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”
“I asked if the coroner had identified the marks on their chest. It looks like it’s from a defibrillator.”
You peered at the notes you’d jotted down, not before noticing Spencer quirk a brow in your direction. He’d most definitely caught you staring.
“That’s correct. By the coroner’s reports, both victims had been resuscitated multiple times and not at the same time either. Over a period of time.”
“What the hell is this unsub doing to these people?” Luke Alvez muttered.
“That is what we’re going to find out. Wheels up in thirty,” Emily said, standing, gathering the case file.
You expelled a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding as the team left. You needed to grab your go bag as well before meeting the team at the jet.
But first, you needed to get it together.
•
Your fantasies had returned, unsurprisingly.
You’d given a press conference earlier, met with family members and now was sitting against the edge of the table as the team were recounting what evidence they’d found. Most of it was the beginnings of their profile forming, tossing theories around.
You were only half listening, your mind wandering.
“This unsub’s torture is his twisted sexual fantasy. You know how normal people fantasize about normal sexual things? Whether it be exhibitionism, a certain kink, maybe even a certain part of another’s body, perhaps one’s hands.”
You had to stifle the guilty gasp that had risen in your throat. You felt your face heat. Either Spencer was messing with you or he had ironically and unintentionally somewhat called you out.
He hadn’t even glanced in your direction though. Even then, you weren’t sure what to think. Spencer Reid was definitely one smart cookie, both book smart and common sense smart. He caught on to more things than some gave him credit for.
“This is his sick unnatural version of that. It’s what arouses him,” Spencer continued, oblivious to your inner thoughts.
Well, Spencer certainly did that enough for you. You groaned internally, trying to focus on the case and not your gorgeous coworker. There would be plenty of time to release your sexual frustration later, at home, away from him and the rest of the team.
Although it was such a shame it couldn’t be his own hands caressing you as he fucked you against a wall.
Oh god, you really needed to get some fresh air.
“Agent Y/L/N?”
You turned at your name, seeing the local detective approaching you.
“We have an out of state family member that’s just called and would like to talk to you before he flies out.”
You breathed a sigh of relief. At least that would preoccupy your mind for a short while.
“I’ll be right there,” you nodded.
You turned back to the team.
“Keep me updated on what you find out,” you said before leaving to take the phone call.
You crossed your fingers in hopes that they wouldn’t send Spencer again to fill you in. That was the absolute last thing you needed.
-
It’s official, your coworkers hated you.
Spencer sat on top of the desk you were sat at, filling you in.
You were trying hard not to, but your body was reacting to him. You could feel the tightness of your breasts under your blouse, your center beginning to throb as you attempted to focus on what he was saying.
It wasn’t just his hands that got you hot, but they were a wonderful addition to an already impressive package.
He was attractive. He was tall and slender, light brown curls that were most likely always in a disarray. He would often push stray curls out of his eyes with a hand, oblivious to the fact he even did it.
He had a jawline as sharp as a razor and cheekbones any woman would envy. His lips were full and a naturally opaque medium pink hue. He had a habit of biting them or licking them when he was deep in thought. He also had this cute habit of poking his tongue out of his mouth while he thought. It was sexy and utterly adorable at the same time.
His smile could literally make a woman’s panties drop and give them butterflies simultaneously. His smile was as big as his brain and just as bright as him. When he smiled, it lit his whole face up, showing a row of perfectly straight and white teeth. His eyes occasionally crinkled at the corners and scrunched up when he smiled real big or laughed.
His eyes were so intriguing to you. Some days they looked brown, other they looked more green. You would guess they were a shade of hazel by how they seemed to change in different lights or depending on different colors he wore.
One thing about those eyes, they never missed anything.
His brains were just as attractive as he was. With his genius and his knowledge and experience of the job, he had become an amazing profiler over the years. It amazed you how he could process information and have a breakthrough in a case that none of the rest of the team could’ve ever thought of.
“Have you heard anything I’ve said?” he asked.
Once again, you forced yourself out of your head to struggle to listen to what he was saying.
“Huh what? Oh yeah, I- okay maybe I missed that last part,” you admitted.
“What’s got you so distracted today?” he asked, curiously.
“Just tired,” you lied smoothly.
Tired of imagining you half naked and sprawled across any of the nearby surfaces.
You shook the thought loose from your head. Focus, focus. You could do that.
“Just quickly run that by me one more time, please?”
•
You tossed a stack of files on your desk, sighing.
It had been a long week.
You’d made it through the last case—it successfully solved and the unsub in custody—within a few days. The team you were a part of were just that good.
You, along with the team, had arrived back at Quantico late last night. Today was a day full of paperwork, wrapping up the loose ends of the latest case. That had to be your least favorite part about this job.
You’d finish your paperwork earlier, also trying to avoid Spencer as the last few days had spiked your sexual frustration. You weren’t sure just how much more one could take.
Luckily—or unluckily, considering how you looked at it—you had a stack of cases to go through. You were going to be staying later than usual, that’s for sure.
Everyone was heading home for the day, but you were just getting started. You were anticipating going through the case files with Emily, when there was a knock at your door.
It wasn’t closed, so the knock was more of a formality than anything.
You looked up to see Spencer in the doorway.
“Hey. Need a hand?”
You had to bite back a groan. This man, you swear.
“Oh, no, thanks though. Emily and I are just staying a little later this evening to knock out some cases,” you motioned to the stack you’d been compiling.
“Actually that’s why I’m here,” he said, stepping in, putting his hands in his suit pants pockets.
“Emily had a personal emergency and asked me to help you out in her place.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that, really. I can get it done myself, it’s no problem,” you offered.
“Well you know how fast I can read. Besides, it’s no problem. What, are you trying to get rid of me?”
A small smirk graced his lips.
“Uh, okay. Let me just grab these and I’ll meet you in the briefing room. It’ll have more desk space than this mess.”
You peered at your cluttered desktop, making Spencer chuckle.
“Here, let me help.”
He grabbed the stack of case files and was out the door.
-
You closed another file that you’d just gone through and sat it on the chair next to you, the table clearing and the pile in the chair, growing.
Turns out, Spencer was right. His quick reading came in handy with going through these potential cases. It’d only been an hour and you’d flown through three quarters of the files.
“Done with this one,” Spencer said, sliding it your way, “Tell the detective to look into the brother of the suspect, he seems promising.”
You raised a brow, but said nothing as you jotted the note down to add to the file, closing it and adding it to the pile.
He was already on the next case, reading it. His fingers scanned down the pages as his eyes took in the information. As much as you tried to resist, your eyes fell to his hands. You just couldn’t help it.
The amount of dirty thoughts you’d had involving them in the last few years was insane. It was hard not to imagine those long, agile fingers buried deep inside you, driving you crazy.
You shifted in your chair, trying to avoid the arousal that was creeping upon you, its fingers just starting to grab a hold of you. You could just imagine those fingers gently gliding over your bare skin, hands gripping your curves, melding into the form of your hips as he held tightly onto them while he thrust deep inside you. You bet he’d feel amazing.
If his big brains were any kind of indicator of his nether regions then you were positive he was well endowed.
The words in front of you in the file were blurring, you couldn’t keep focus. Your mind was a fog that was filled with nothing but Spencer Reid in the most compromising ways.
You blinked to clear the blurring words, reaching for your water bottle to drink some. It had been at least ten minutes since the last time either of you had spoken, so you were startled when you heard him speak, breaking the silence in the room.
“So what’s got you so aroused?”
You almost choked on your swallow of water. You sputtered a bit, wiping your mouth and swallowing the liquid, screwing the cap back onto the bottle. He hadn’t even looked up from the file in your direction when he’d spoken, he was still studying the case in front of him. You stalled, putting your water bottle back in your bag before answering.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You’re shifting in your seat, crossing and uncrossing your legs uncontrollably and clearing your throat. Your breathing seems to be a little more accelerated than normal and your heart rate has probably spiked. Plus, your face is flushed.”
You didn’t know what to say. You wanted to desperately deny it, but you knew Spencer was too good at his job and knew better.
He shifted in his seat, turning to look at you.
“Why are you always staring at my hands? Are they what gets you this worked up?”
You swallowed hard, nodding slightly.
“Answer me, please,” he said not in an unkind tone, but a gravelly element had slipped into his voice.
“Yes,” you whispered.
His teeth raked over his lower lip as his hand pushed your hair back behind one ear, softly trailing down your cheek before grasping your chin with two fingers, pulling you into a kiss.
You were surprised at this turn of events, but returned the kiss, his lips soft against yours. He deepened the kiss, his hand gliding over your cheek, fingers tangling into your hair.
He pulled away from you, his fingers deftly unbuttoning your blouse.
“Wanna see exactly what my hands can do?”
You were dreaming. You had to be. There was no way this was actually happening or the fact that Spencer was trying to seduce you. At some point in the last couple of seconds, he’d pulled you to a standing position, lifting you up to sit on the edge of the table.
“Please,” you murmured, watching him.
His fingers brushed an area of exposed skin with every button he’d opened, making you shiver. Finishing the last button, he pushed the shirt back over your shoulders and you let it fall off your arms and to the floor. You were quite literally sitting on the edge of the table in just your lilac lacy bra and work skirt.
His hands glided up your arms, giving you goosebumps. Although that partly could’ve been because of his intense gaze locked on yours. His hands reached towards your back, unhooking your bra then sliding the straps down your shoulders. When your bra fell in your lap, you pushed it away, hearing it hit the floor. You also thought you heard a deep groan, die in his throat.
You felt suddenly, extremely exposed as his eyes roamed your bare top half.
“Tell me. What kinds of things have you imagined me doing to you?”
At this point, you couldn’t determine if he was just a really good profiler or a mind reader. Your face flamed, realizing he’d probably caught on long ago.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” his lips brushed against yours, his fingers like feathers across your collarbones, before he whispered in your ear, his scruff tickling the side of your face in a pleasant way.
“I like you too. For a long time, Y/N.”
You bit your lip, watching him pull away, the smirk back on his lips.
“Now, tell me. What have you imagined me doing?”
His hands cupped your boobs, squeezing them gently. If your nipples hadn’t already hardened from your arousal, they most certainly would be now.
“Have you imagined this?” Spencer whispered.
The pads of his thumbs moved back and forth over your nipples causing you to gasp. Your core had already been throbbing from earlier but now it had become ten times worse, including the slickness between your thighs as well.
“Or maybe this?”
On one side, his fingers twisted your nipple just slightly and on the opposite side, his hand kneaded your breast more firmly. The whimper that left your throat obviously pleased him.
His fingers found the zipper of your skirt, located at your side, along your hip. He pulled it down slowly. All you could hear was the slow descent of the zipper and your sudden, ragged breathing.
His hands brushed your hips as he pulled the garment off, letting it drop where it may.
With a hand gentle on your back, he pushed you down to lay against the table top then his hands continued their exploration. They glided up over your stomach, fingers tapping down your sides.
You’re pretty sure he could make you orgasm just from his playful touch. You were propped up on your forearms, watching him. Your skin was cool against the tabletop.
“You still haven’t told me what you’ve imagined me doing,” he said slyly, hands just beginning to reach the tops of your thighs.
Without even thinking, your legs immediately parted, ready for his hands between them.
“Nuh uh,” he replied, closing your legs, gripping the sides of your thighs roughly, “I need to be told.”
At this point, you were positive you’d soaked through your panties. You were dying from his touch, yet craving it where it mattered the most.
“I want you to touch me,” you croaked.
“Touch you? But I have been,” he grinned mischievously, rubbing the sides of your thighs, “In fact, I’m touching you now.”
You wanted to groan. Fucking Spencer Reid.
Either you were out of your mind with your current state or just completely lost all will to keep up your sexual frustration for the words out of your mouth were something you wouldn’t normally be so brazen to say. At least not without blushing.
“I want you to use your hands on me until I’m gripping the table and screaming your name,” you gritted out through clenched teeth.
The only reaction you saw from him was the slight squint of his eyes and you felt the grip on your thighs tighten. If it hadn’t been for that, you wouldn’t have thought your words had affected him at all.
He nudged your thighs apart, fingers slowly stroking the insides of them. You were practically quivering with need by this point, your core throbbed for his heavenly touch.
When it came, a feather light brush through the silk material of your underwear, you hissed, the feeling just barely a taste of what you knew was to come.
“Eager are we?”
He could feel how wet he’d gotten you and the wolfish grin on his face, you knew, was because of it.
He remained teasing you, thumb pressing your clit through the thin fabric.
“Fucking hell Spencer, either you do it or I’ll do it myself.”
His deep chuckle sent electricity to your core.
“Why Y/N, I never knew there was this side to you.”
His fingers dipped into the waistband of your panties, pulling them off. He wasted no time getting down to business.
His touch trailed down your slit and a low moan came from you. You couldn’t help it at this point. Months—hell years—of sexual frustration were coming to the surface and you were quite willing him to wreck you.
A finger slid in you easily, obviously with the help of your arousal. You saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard, his eyes taking you in. You needed more and you told him so. More digits were added and you easily became a moaning mess.
His knuckles gently rubbed your walls, giving you shock waves of pleasure all through your body. He was as good with his hands as you’d imagined, but the real thing was so much better than your fantasies.
His pace alternated between slow and gentle to rough and quick, keeping you on your toes. Small whimpers and moans were coming from you quickly and you leaned your head back, hips arching into his touch.
You were certain you were going to explode when his thumb circled your clit.
“Oh my god,” you groaned, feeling yourself inadvertently tighten around his fingers.
You were positive he’d felt it too when you heard his own groan come from above you. His beautiful hazel eyes were piercing you, lust filled and prideful that he was the one making you moan and squirm under him.
“Spence,” you whimpered.
Your high was so close, your blood was roaring in your ears and all you could think of was him making you cum harder than you’d ever have before. Your hand gripped the table, your breathing coming in sharp gasps.
One hand gripped his wrist as the coil of pressure that had been growing in the pit of your stomach, exploded. You cried out, pretty sure his name was on your lips repeatedly as your previously tensed muscles, relaxed and you came all over his fingers.
“Oh my god,” you gasped, as you were recovering, your chest rising and falling.
He helped you up, kissing you once again, gently before gathering your clothes and handing them to you with a grin.
Your cheeks flushed as you realized you’d quite literally just came on the round table—where the entire team was briefed on cases, might you add—and because of Spencer.
It was only when you’d gotten your undergarments back on that you noticed him trying to discreetly rearrange himself, that you realized he was trying to hide his own raging arousal.
You don’t know how you’d missed the fact that you’d gotten him incredibly hard. Maybe because you were too busy dying repeatedly over his touch.
“Spencer,” you motioned him over.
You reached for his belt buckle when he walked into reaching distance, fully intending to return the favor.
He stilled your hands, shaking his head.
“Another time.”
You looked at him, confused. His eyes twinkled mischievously, though.
“Next time, I want to show you what other parts of me can do.”
You had to hand it to him. That was one side of Spencer Reid you would’ve never expected.
As he left, you were sure there was going to be a cold shower in the very near future for him.
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Hi there! Sorry if this is a weird question, but I was wondering if you possibly have any advice or tips on how to paint with watercolors? I really love how your watercolor pieces look, and I was just passed down some paints from a relative and I don't really know what I'm doing with them since I've always used markers or done digital art. 😅
Aww thank you~♡ um... well Im no teacher but I suppose I do have some tips when using watercolors i can share
Tip 1: Don't be afraid to throw on some colors.
You'll be surprised what colors actually look good together. Working with green? Use blues and purples for shading. Wanna shade yellow without looking messy? Use pink instead of browns and golds. Watercolors are pretty forgiving on that front, so don't be afraid to experiment with color combinations.
Down below i used blue for shading Sho's brown hair because they're surprisingly both complimentary colors. (Orange and blue contrast heavily but brown is dull enough not to mess with your eyes)
Tip 2: Layers, Layers and more Layers
With watercolors, you're working with a very light medium so you'll need to layer the colors over and over to make the colors opaque. This means you can color a vague portion of the drawing and then use layers to clean up the drawing later on.
It'll be scary at first but you'll get the hang of it. (Just don't make your first watercolor art something too serious, I learned that the hard way lol)
Tip 3: Using other art mediums WITH you watercolors.
When i use watercolors, there'll be some effects i can't get with just watercolors. I tend to go over certain details with (water-proof) inks, especially for characters eyes.
It be based on personal preference, but I tend to use a standard ballpoint pen when inking watercolor arts (if I ink at all lol) I also resort to using more opaque paints to fix certain mistakes or spots where I messed up layers.
Last tip: Paper matters...but not too much.
Its safe to say that watercolors need to have their own specific paper, but in all honesty, I never bothered with the details. Any standard watercolor sketchbook/pad will work just fine as long as you don't add too much water (and for the most part, you won't need alot of water)
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Crystal Heart
Phic phight 2020
Submitted by @that-dumbass-on-a-horse: Ghost sickness. Maddie and Jack try to fix it, but make it worse instead
Summary: When a ghost boy becomes a ghost man, his body goes through certain changes. And when his parents find out and try to help him, they inevitably almost kill him in the process. Almost.
Warnings: non-graphic body horror (melting)
Word count: 7248
I had to look up pictures of blood cells under a microscope and that was actually super cool. I love it when fanfiction involves fun research
As soon as Maddie saw the green flush on Danny's cheeks, she knew what it was. Some dastardly ectoplasmic pathogen from the Ghost Zone had infected her baby boy. It must have been from all the time he spent in the lab. Too many times, Maddie had caught him sneaking up from the basement with a sheepish look on his face. Occasionally, Sam and Tucker were with him. Maddie would have to get them tested for whatever illness currently afflicted Danny.
"I'm telling you, I feel fine," Danny said, looking anything but fine. He lay in bed, cheeks flushed an unearthly green. Sweat shone on his forehead.
"Good try, mister. Maybe I'll believe you when you stop covering your mouth like you have to puke," Maddie chastised her son. Standing with her hand on her hip, she shook her head. She had heard of teens faking illness to get out of school; it was so touching to know her boy wasn't like that.
"Mom, really, I'm fine," Danny insisted. He covered his mouth as he spoke, earning a very pointed glare from Maddie.
"I've already called the school. They know you're staying home today. Don't worry, your father and I will get you fixed up."
Panic and desperation filled Danny's eyes. It warmed Maddie's heart to see it. Who knew he cared so much about his classes? With how his grades had been dropping over the past year, she thought he had given up on school.
After pinning Danny with one last stern look, Maddie left his room and headed down to the kitchen. There should be a few packages of chicken noodle soup in the pantry for her to make. They usually kept a well-stocked supply dry soups, pastas, and other side dishes for the days dinner came to life. Maddie scanned the shelves, dragging her fingers across the various boxes, and grinned when she found the one she wanted. Pulling it out, she saw there was only one package left. It looked like they would need to restock soon.
Maddie quickly set to work making the soup, throwing the mixture of noodles and powder into a pot of water, turning the stove on low to simmer, and setting the oven timer to remind herself when to check it. With that done, she headed down to the lab.
Jack was hunched over his workstation, beakers laid out on the counter in front of him. Bubbling mixtures of various consistencies and colours filled the beakers, steam rising from more than a few even though they weren't set over heat.
"Danny's staying home today," she told Jack. "I think he caught a ghost bug."
"No son of mine is gonna get taken down but a ghost! I'll squash it like a fly!" declared.
Maddie smiled fondly and shook her head. "No, Jack. Not a bug ghost, a ghost bug. He's sick."
"Oh. Well, we'll squash that sickness anyway! And then we'll squash the ghost that gave it to him! And then we'll squash Phantom!"
"You said it, honey!" She kissed Jack on the cheek before heading to her own station. Taking a test sample kit out from the cupboard, she pulled out a Fenton Swab and a Fenton Tube. They were nearly identical to the standard cotton swab and sample tube they were modelled after, except the Fenton versions were designed to withstand ectoplasm's acidic properties. They also had the word Fenton on them.
"Whatcha doing, Mads?" Jack asked, briefly looking up from his work.
"I want to rule out environmental factors. Danny spends so much time down here, and he never wears a jumpsuit since his got misplaced. We need to make sure the portal doesn't contain any contagions that could make others sick," she explained. Sticking her thumb against the DNA scanner, she opened the portal doors.
Green light spilled over the lab floor, rippling over the metal panels. Carefully, Maddie took the Fenton Swab and stuck it in the portal's swirling mass. It wasn't like sticking something in water. The ectoplasm in the portal had no resistance. Even though it looked opaque from afar, up close it more resembled a colourful mist. Swirling her hand around, she dragged the swab through the ectoplasm, coating it thoroughly.
It was mesmerizing. Despite how long she and Jack had studied ectoplasm for, she still didn't understand how its state of matter worked. It could go from solid to gas in an instant, or hang in the air like a fog and become liquid the moment it touched something. Sometimes it took minutes to dissipate, other times it took hours. There were so many contradicting circumstances, it was fascinating.
Perhaps ectoplasm was its own state of matter that couldn't be defined by Earthly physics.
Maddie waited until ectoplasm was practically dripping off the cotton end before pulling her hand back out, dropping the swab into the sample tube. Analyzing it would be easy enough. They had studied samples from the portal before, but ectoplasm's most consistent trait was how inconsistent it was. You could take two ectoplasmic samples from a single entity one week apart and their surface properties would be completely different.
The one core characteristic was a unique pattern of crystallization, visible with careful observation under a microscope. Each ghost seemed to have their own pattern. In some cases, they were highly personal. The ghost who liked to shout about boxes all the time had a square crystallization pattern.
If she could isolate the ectoplasm making Danny sick, she could compare the pattern with the portal and see if they matched. If they did, then she could study the rest of the portal sample and see what was making Danny sick.
Maddie tapped her foot as she placed a drop of ectoplasm on a slide and put it under the microscope, setting the rest of the sample aside for later testing.
"No need for that!"
Maddie paused just before putting her eye to the lens, turning to face Jack instead.
He grinned widely at her, holding out one of the beakers from his desk. "I've got our solution right here!" He wiggled the beaker. The thick purple substance inside barely jiggled. "It's the newest version of ecto-dejecto. This time, it actually works."
Reaching out, Jack took the sample Maddie had put aside. He stuck the swab into the purple goo; it stayed standing upright when he let go. The goo around the swab hissed and steamed.
"Is it supposed to do that?" Maddie asked.
"Uh, maybe?"
Green bubbles bloomed across the top layer of goo, quickly expanding upward. Jack yelped and dropped the beaker as the ectoplasm foamed over his hand. The beaker shatterd as soon as it hit the ground, glass shards going flying. The goo kept expanding, fizzing and frothing as it changed from purple to green, growing until it was a mound as big as a medium sized dog. With a few final hisses, the ectoplasm settled.
"It doesn't work yet, but it will," Jack said, confidence unshaken.
"I know it will," Maddie said. She had complete faith in her husband. Jack might bumble around sometimes, but his mind was truly brilliant. Where other people looked at things and saw only what was on the surface, Jack saw everything. He always excelled more on the chemistry side of things, even if he had a few mishaps every now and then.
It's what made them such a good team. Maddie handled the math, physics, and most of the weapon construction while Jack handled the ideas. She brought his head out of the clouds when he went too far. He raised her up so she could see all the possibilities and push them farther.
"Well, hey, I've got more ectoplasm to test with now," Jack said. He bent down and prodded the quivering mass.
In the silence, Maddie heard the oven beeping upstairs.
"Oh, shoot, Danny's soup." Maddie leapt out of her seat. She snatched a spare swab and sample tube from the counter and took off for the stairs. "Don't forget to clean up the glass!" She tossed the words over her shoulder, hoping Jack heard her.
On the stove, the pot was boiling over. Water hissed as it doused the element, steam and smoke clouding over the stove. Maddie grabbed a tea towel and shoved the pot off the element, accidentally splashing more water out.
"Oh, no," she grumbled, shutting off the stove. She took in the mess with a defeated sigh. There was more soup on the counter than there was in the pot. The timer must have gone off some time ago, or she had set it for too long. Tossing the tea towel over the spilled soup, she left it there to soak up some of the mess and went to the fridge instead, hoping they had something she could give Danny.
Her prospects were slim. Some questionable lunch meat that was about to expire. A door full of condiments. A ceramic pot that rattled every few seconds. Its lid was tied down to keep the reanimated fruit cocktail from escaping. Overall, the fridge was woefully empty. Maddie really needed to go grocery shopping.
She ended up taking a carton of orange juice from the door, pouring a glass, and decided Danny would have to settle for this until she came back from the store.
"Danny, sweetie?" Maddie asked, gently knocking on his door. It creaked open. Peeking inside, she saw his empty bed. A clatter from the bathroom drew her attention. "Oh, Danny." She shook her head, setting the glass of orange juice down on his dresser, and headed down the hall.
The door was shut. Soft white light shone underneath it, not nearly as bright as it should have been. One of the lights above the mirror must have burnt out again. Gently, she knocked and called Danny's name.
"Uh, just a minute!" Danny said.
The light under the door flared, then settled. Maddie heard the toilet flushing, followed by a quick burst of water from the tap. Finally, the knob turned, the lock clicking out of place, and Danny eased the door open. He kept one hand over his mouth.
"Hey, Mom. What brings you here?" he asked. Behind his palm, Maddie saw his lips twitch into a smile.
"You do, young man. I told you to stay in bed," Maddie said, crossing her arms.
"Bathroom. Had to go. You know how it is," Danny said. Using his elbow, he bumped the door open wider, his other hand pressed against his head. He squeezed past Maddie and shuffled backward toward his room. "But bed sounds like a great idea. In fact, I think I'll have a nap. No need to check on me or anything. You don't even need to open the door!"
He chuckled weakly, sidling into his room, and kicked the door shut.
Maddie wasn't sure what to make of all that. Danny hadn't even shut off the bathroom light. Reaching through the doorway to do just that, she noticed something odd. The toilet lid was down. Danny had the habit of leaving it up, no matter how much she reminded him not to. It was a small detail, but an curious one nonetheless. She decided not to dwell on it. More than likely, he was finally starting to build up the habit.
Maddie was halfway down the stairs when she remembered she needed a spit sample from Danny. Heading back up, she paused on the landing when she heard Danny talking, voice low.
"I don't know what's wrong." He sounded panicked. "I've only been awake for a couple hours but it's getting worse."
Maddie stopped. Instead of pushing Danny's door open, she crept forward, holding her ear against it. While she would never let Danny get away with eavesdropping, as his concerned mother, she had the right to listen in on his conversation.
"I don't know. My mouth was kind of hurting yesterday, but that's a whole other thing, right?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Tucker! I'm being serious here! First it was the blush, and then it was my hair." Maddie frowned at that. "What's next? My eyes?"
Danny's dresser rattled—she hoped he saw the orange juice—and he groaned. "Yep, it's the eyes now!"
Maddie really should go in there. Her baby was clearly panicking and needed her help.
"I don't care about my teeth!"
In a minute. She would go in, in a minute.
"Ugh, fine, whatever." Maddie heard Danny shuffling around, drawers opening and closing. It lasted for a full thirty seconds before he spoke again. "Okay, I got it. Happy now?" His words slurred slightly, as if he wasn't closing his mouth all the way.
Deciding enough was enough, Maddie pushed the door open without knocking. "Sorry, Danny, I forgot that I... needed..." The excuse died on her lips as she got a good look at Danny.
Green swirled in his eyes and a white streak cut through his hair. Danny spit out the large Saturn pendant of his chewable necklace and whispered into his phone. "Tucker, I got to go." Tossing his phone back into his bed, he stepped forward and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Mom, I can explain."
"Oh, my poor baby, you're so much worse than I thought," Maddie said. She rushed forward, taking Danny's face in her hands, and turned his head to the side so she could examine the streak in his hair. His bangs were white from root to tip. Using her thumb and forefinger, she pulled his eye open wide and examined his iris.
It looked like the infection was spreading. She thought it was a simple case of contamination, but that wouldn't do this. The green blush, yes, but changing his hair and eyes? Altering his physical and chemical makeup? This was serious.
"I'm sorry, Danny. Your nap has to wait. You're coming down to the lab with me now." Taking Danny by the wrist, Maddie pulled him out of his room.
"It's really not what you think!" Under his breath, he added, "I hope it's not what I think, either."
"Danny, your father and I are experts. Whatever you think it is, it isn't. Your dad is working on a cure right now. But at the rate this is accelerating, I can't let you out of my sight. I have to check all your vitals and keep detailed notes about how this progresses," Maddie said. "This is nothing like the ghost flu your father and I had."
"I still say that was just a regular flu."
"Now is not the time for your sass." Maddie dragged Danny all the way down to the lab.
Glass no longer littered the floor, although the blob of ectoplasm still sat beside Maddie's chair. Pulling the chair out, she pushed Danny into the seat and wheeled him across the lab to the medical station. Setting him out of the way in the hollow of the safety shower, Maddie opened the cupboard beneath the eyewash station and pulled out what she needed.
Beyond the run of the mill first-aid kit, the lab had a few tools you would find in a standard health clinic.
Danny squirmed and tried to leave his seat a few times, but Maddie kept pushing him back down. She didn't let him stand until she had taken his vitals, checked his eyes, nose, and throat, and gave him a thorough physical exam.
"Mom!" Danny whined when Maddie lifted shirt. She ignored him, looking over his body for signs of discolouration. There weren't any, yet. She suspected it was only a matter of time.
"Jack, how's that ecto-dejecto coming?" she asked.
"Almost got it!"
"Ecto-dejecto?" Danny paled.
Maddie sent him a reassuring smile. "It's okay. We're fixing the recipe so that it destabilizes the ectoplasm rather than makes it stronger. It will make it easier for your body to flush out the toxins." Her eyes dropped to the pendant around Danny's neck, his conversation with Tucker returning to mind. "What was Tucker talking about with your teeth?"
She had only spared them a brief glance when checking Danny's through, more concerned with hidden rashes or pustules.
"You were spying on me?" Danny's cheeks flushed in anger. "So not cool!"
"Danny, I'm your mother and I'm worried about you. You're sick."
"I'm fine! That doesn't make it okay to spy on me."
"You'll understand when you're older."
Danny tipped his head back and groaned.
"Now, open your mouth."
Danny squinted at her, which earned him nothing but a motherly glare. Stubborn but relenting, he slowly opened his mouth. Maddie rolled her eyes at her son's antics. Once his mouth was open wide enough, she checked his teeth. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.
"What's bothering you about them?" she asked. The hair and eyes were undoubtedly ghost-related matters. So far, Maddie was inclined to agree with Danny that his mouth pains were simply a coincidence.
"My gums just started hurting yesterday. Like there was a lot of pressure or something," Danny explained.
"And the necklace?"
"Chewing on something kind of helped, I guess. That was the first time I tried it, but it felt okay."
Something about that resonated with Maddie. She leaned back, frowning. It sounded like what happened when children teeth. When Danny was a baby growing in his teeth for the first time, he chewed on everything to make it stop hurting. Maddie had to throw out so many of his stuffed animals because he chewed on them until they were too dirty to keep.
"Can you pull your lips down?"
Danny obliged, raising his chin so Maddie could get a better look. The gums looked fine, no bumps or bulges, and his teeth were still in line.
"Top lip," she said.
Hooking his finger under his lip, Danny pulled it up. Maddie's eyes widened immediately. On the left side, between his canine tooth and lateral incisor, the sharp tip of a new tooth poked out of his gums. It looked like it was growing over his other teeth.
"You have an extra tooth," she declared.
"A what?" Danny shouted. He ran his fingers along his top teeth, pausing to feel the new one growing in.
"It's fine," Maddie said, waving off his concern. "Your father had one growing behind his incisor in college. He just had to get it removed. It's not related to whatever this," she gestured to his hair and eyes, "is."
"Oh." Danny deflated, looking relieved, although he didn't take his finger out of his mouth. He kept touching the new tooth. Swivelling in the chair, he leaned toward the wall, examining his reflection in the shining surface.
"Mads! I did it!" Jack's heavy steps thudded across the lab as he pounded over.
Content that Danny was occupied and wouldn't slip away the second she took her eyes off him, Maddie focused on Jack. He bounced on his heels, holding out a test tube filled to the brim with a yellow-tinged liquid.
"It's all about using the ectoplasm's natural properties against itself. If we can lock it in a liquid state, the ectoplasm loses hold of its form and liquifies! Just watch." He scurried back to Maddie's workstation.
With a careful tip of his hand, he poured a single drop of ecto-dejecto on the solidified ectoplasm. Sickly yellow patches spread across its surface. The ectoplasm started breaking down. Sloughing off in chunks, layer upon layer melted away, dripping down to the floor until only a wide green puddle remained.
"It's perfect! Pass me the syringe."
Jack got the needle ready in record time. Maddie wasn't concerned about giving Danny the ecto-dejecto without doing trials on living creatures first. Anti-ectoplasmic agents, by their very nature, did not harm living tissue. They isolated and attacked ectoplasm and ectoplasm alone. For this reason, anti-ghost weaponry was completely harmless to humans. Ghost shields, ghost guns, none of them could hard people.
It was also was the very same reason why Maddie and Jack did not have strict rules barring Danny and Jazz from the lab. They wanted their children to be curious. What better way to promote an interest in science then let them explore it in a safe manner with chemicals and compounds that would not harm them?
Danny was still examining his reflection, although he was probing something on the right side of his mouth instead.
Maddie pushed up his t-shirt sleeve. "Hold still, sweetie," she said, and stabbed his shoulder with the needle. Pressed the plunger, she injected him with the ecto-dejecto.
"Ow!" Danny flinched, jerking around to face Maddie. His gaze caught on the needle in her hand. "What was that?"
"Don't worry, you'll be all better by tomorrow," Maddie assured him.
"No, really." Danny stood up. He swayed, careening into the wall, and gasped. Staring down at his hands, he flexed his trembling fingers. "Seriously." He looked up at Maddie, helpless. "What was that?"
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
"Danny!" Maddie dropped to her knees beside him, Jack joining her a second later. Panic overwhelmed her. That shouldn't have happened. The ecto-dejecto was perfect. It should have worked flawlessly. Instead, Danny's skin around the injection site was quickly turning a dark, sickly green. His breathing was shallow, and his eyelids fluttered.
Pressing two fingers to Danny's neck, Maddie felt his pulse, erratic. What happened? What went wrong? What did Maddie do? She couldn't shake the feeling that she had just sent Danny to his grave.
"Mads." Jack's voice snapped her out of her spiralling thoughts. "We need to get him to the hospital. I'll carry him up to the RV. You call Jazz. We'll get her taken out of school."
"Right. Right." Maddie nodded, swallowing thickly. She had never been more thankful to have Jack by her side. Right when her vision started narrowing and all she could see was one outcome—Danny dead, Maddie his murderer—Jack was there to pull her up.
Moving back, she gave Jack room to gather Danny up. Jack was a big man, with thick arms and heavy-looking hands, but he cradled Danny so gently, as if he was a baby again.
"See the big picture, focus on the little steps," Jack said.
"Big picture, little steps," Maddie repeated. The words rang out in her head, over and over like a mantra. Big picture, little steps. Saving Danny, calling Jazz. Her phone was at her workstation. While Jack carried Danny upstairs, Maddie sprinted over to her station, snagging her phone off the counter. She easily found the number for Casper High.
"Casper High, this is Connie Burjan."
"H–hello Ms. Burjan." Maddie took a deep breath and smoothed out her voice. "This is Madeline Fenton, calling for Jasmine Fenton. I'm her mother."
"What can I do for you?"
"There's an emergency and we need to pull Jazz out of school. She needs to be with her family right now."
"Of course. I'll call her to the principal's office. I hope everything will be alright."
Maddie gave a rueful grin. "So do I." She hung up and headed upstairs.
Jack already had Danny in the back of the RV, laid out on one of the benches. He looked so small curled up on his side, shaking and shivering. Seeing him like that sent a surge of loathing through Maddie. She did this.
"You take Danny to the hospital. I'll pick up Jazz," Jack said, motioning to the little-used family car.
"No, we can't," Maddie said. She cursed softly. "We never got the transmission fixed."
They used the car so little. It was a relic from days past, the same vehicle Jack had in college. These days, they preferred the RV both because of its size and its ghost defenses.
"We pick up Jazz on the way," Jack said.
Maddie didn't want Jazz to see her brother this way, but she nodded anyway. They could leave Jazz at school for the rest of the day, but that didn't feel right. The whole family needed to be together.
Jack climbed into the back with Danny, sitting on the floor rather than the bench opposite his, while Maddie got in the front seat. Starting the car, she practically tore out of the garage, ripping through the back alley behind their house. She may have been a less hazardous driver than Jack, but she was just as fast.
"It's okay. You're gonna be okay," Jack whispered. Looking in the rear-view mirror, Maddie saw him running his hands through Danny's hair in a soothing gesture. It reminded her of when Danny was little. He used to get sick so easily, stuck at home for days on end with a cold or flu. One of them would sit with him until he fell asleep, reading books about astronomy and brushing his hair like Jack was doing now.
Maddie's grip on the steering wheel tightened. This was nothing like back then. The bruise on Danny's arm had spread, a spotty discolouration taking over the whole limb.
When they got to the school, Jazz was already waiting outside, standing on the front steps. She ran up the sidewalk the second the RV came into view, bounding toward the vehicle. Jack threw the door open for her.
"What happened? Ms. Burjan didn't say," Jazz said. Her gaze fell to Danny. She paled, cupping her mouth. "Danny!"
She clambered into the car, leaving Jack to shut the door again, and immediately knelt in front of her brother. Her hands hovered over him before she touched his forehead, feeling his temperature. "What happened?" she asked.
"He was sick. Some kind of ghost sickness. We– I gave him ecto-dejecto to flush it out," Maddie explained shakily. She couldn't meet her daughter's eyes.
Jazz stared down at Danny. Gnawing on her thumbnail, she kept swivelling her head back and forth, glancing between Danny, Jack, and Maddie. She looked conflicted.
"Jazz?" Jack asked, seeing the same indecision as Maddie.
"You can't take him to the hospital," Jazz said. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Danny, and pulled him into a protective embrace.
"Jasmine! Your brother needs a doctor!" Maddie said.
"No, you don't understand!" Jazz shook her head vigorously. "You can't take him, they'll– they'll find out."
"Find out what?" Jack asked.
She bit her lip, holding Danny closer. Whispering an apology in Danny's ear, she raised her head and glared defiantly at Maddie and Jack. "They'll find out Danny's not human!"
Maddie slammed her foot on the breaks. Jack's arms shout out to brace himself on the sides of the RV. Jazz yelped, sliding forward, and curled around Danny to protect him as he fell halfway off the bench.
Panting, Maddie turned around and stared at Jazz. "He's what?" she asked.
Jazz shifted, putting herself between Danny and Maddie, as if he needed protecting from her. "He's not human," she repeated. "He's... his accident. It did something to him." Shaking her head, she continued, "If you take him to the hospital, they'll report him. It's in that stupid ecto act the G.I.W. have. Any cases of ecto-contamination need to be reported so they can take care of it."
Maddie's mind refused to process that information. She heard it, loud and clear, but she couldn't comprehend it. Of course Danny was human. He was her son, her baby boy, her flesh and blood. She brought him into this world. To say he wasn't human was just ridiculous. Impossible. No accident could change someone that much. No accident could take away someone's humanity.
The streak in Danny's hair stood out, glaringly bright, against his dark locks. The bruising had spread to his neck now. It would only be a matter of minutes before it touched his cheeks, too.
"Jazz, what happened to Danny?" Maddie was afraid of the answer.
"I can't tell you," Jazz whispered. "It's not my secret. I already said too much. But anything that could help him? None of that is going to be at the hospital. If ecto-dejecto did this to him, he doesn't need human medicine."
Maddie paled.
"Jazzypants," Jack said softly, reaching out.
Jazz scooted back, taking Danny with her. "We have to go back home. And you have to promise me. You have promise that, no matter what you find out, you won't hurt Danny."
"Jazz–"
"Promise!"
"We promise," Maddie said.
"Okay." Jazz nodded. "Okay. Let's get Danny home."
Facing forward, Maddie turned the RV around.
—
The couch was hardly sanitary. Jack and Maddie had to carry it in from the garage, and it was covered in dust. Maddie told Jazz as much, but her daughter refused to let them put Danny on the examination table.
"I can't let him wake up like that, lying there, with you looking over him," Jazz said. "It's his worst nightmare."
It broke Maddie's heart to hear that.
Jazz sat with Danny, his head in her lap. She had taken Jack's place stroking his hair. Maybe that was for the best. Based on what Jazz said, Danny wouldn't react well to either Maddie or Jack being the first face he saw if we woke up.
When, Maddie corrected herself. When he wakes up.
The couch sat all the way across the lab, as far from Maddie and Jack as it could get. Not to keep Danny away from them, but because they hadn't cleaned up the puddle of ectoplasm on the floor yet. It was a medical hazard, not to mention an accident waiting to happen, but they had other things to focus on right now.
Maddie forced herself to look away from her children, a heartfelt scene, and turned back to her microscope. She had a sample of Danny's blood underneath it and was looking for signs of crystallization. If she wanted to treat him right, she needed to know just how ghostly he was, and if he was even sick in the first place.
Danny himself said he didn't know what was going on.
Zooming in forty times, one hundred times, four hundred times, Maddie scowled in frustration. She could see his blood cells, but she couldn't see any crystallization. It didn't make sense.
"Anything, Jack?" Maddie asked, pulling back from the lens.
Jack, sitting beside her, leaned forward and scrutinized the computer screen. It was plugged in to the microscope, showing the same view Maddie saw of the sample. He shook his head.
"I don't get it. It should be there," he said.
Maddie nodded. Switching out Danny's sample for the ectoplasm from the portal, she shifted closer to Jack and scoured the screen. The image was blindingly bright. Unlike human blood, which could be seen as individual cells when you looked close enough, ectoplasm remained one solid mass no matter how far you zoomed in. The only thing that seemed to change was how large the crystallization lines were.
In the portal's sample, they swirled together in spiral patterns. It mimicked the way the ectoplasm moved in the portal itself.
Maddie wondered how that worked. Other ghosts had some form of conscience that seemed to influence and be influenced by their ectoplasm, resulting in unique patterns. The portal, however, had no consciousness. Perhaps all ambient ectoplasm from the Ghost Zone would bear an identical pattern. It was something they would have to look into, once Danny was fine.
Staring at the bright screen too long hurt Maddie's eyes. She was forced to look away, rubbing spots out of her vision. There had to be something they were missing.
Jack drummed his fingers on the table and hummed.
"What is it?" Maddie asked.
"Ectoplasm isn't blood," he said.
Maddie blinked, confused. "Yes?"
"So, why are we looking at Danny's blood like it's ectoplasm?"
Maddie blinked again. Her thoughts snapped into place. "Of course!" she shouted. She switched the ectoplasm with Danny's sample once again, zooming the microscope in to one thousand.
"Enlarge the image," Maddie said.
On the computer keyboard, Jack tapped a few keys, doing as asked. The image blew up to fill the screen.
Maddie pointed to one of Danny's red blood cells. "There," she said. She traced her nail along a thin line just barely visible, cutting across the cell. "Ectoplasm is one solid mass, as far as we know, but blood isn't. The crystallization appears on the individual cells, not around them."
"You found something?" Jazz called from across the room.
"You betcha, Jazzypants!" Jack whooped, throwing up his arms.
Maddie left him to celebrate, focusing instead on the pattern she could see. It looked like starbursts. Of course they would, this was Danny. She expected nothing less from her space-loving son. Scanning the image over and over, she tried to see if she could tell exactly how ghostly Danny was. The crystallization appeared fainter, but there was just as much of it as any ectoplasmic sample, simply reduced to a smaller space. Maddie's gaze caught on one of the cells in the corner of the image.
"That's odd," she said. "Jack, look at this." She beckoned him closer, pointing to what had caught her attention. "That cell there. It's the same swirl pattern as the portal.
"You're right," Jack murmured, fascinated.
Tapping her finger on her cheek, Maddie kept staring. There was something else about the pattern, something that nagged at her. It was almost familiar, which should be impossible because every ghost was unique.
"Jack, compare this sample to other ones we have logged in the system," Maddie said.
Behind her, Jazz called, "You don't need to do that!"
"Yes we do."
On the computer monitor, Maddie saw Jazz's reflection. Jazz carefully lifted Danny's head, sliding off the couch, and set him back down. Scurrying across the lab, her socks slipped on the metal tiles.
"Jazz, be careful!" Maddie swivelled her chair around, reaching out to Jazz, but was too late to catch her. Jazz's feet shot out from under her and she hit the ground hard. She groaned, rubbing her backside.
"You should be more careful, you almost fell into the..." Maddie's words died out. The puddle of ectoplasm was gone. "Jack, did you clean up the mess from earlier?"
"Hm? The glass? Yeah, I got it all," he said.
"No, not that, the–" A green blur shot across the lab.
Maddie leapt to her feet, instinctively reaching for an ecto-weapon, but she wasn't wearing any. The green mass zipped back and forth, moving erratically, too fast for Maddie to see. Until it stopped over Danny, hovering.
The ghost was small, about the size of a puppy. It had no arms or legs, just a shimmering body. Spiral patterns danced across its skin, shifting constantly. Yellow rash-like patches smothered the spirals in some places.
Maddie's gaze fell from the ghost to where the puddle of ectoplasm had been mere minutes ago.
"It didn't work," she said quietly, gaping at the ghost.
"Maddie, you should look at this."
"No, Jack, it didn't work!"
"Baby, you really need to look at this!"
Maddie turned, annoyed Jack wasn't listening to her, and froze. The computer had found a match in the crystal patterns. Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom, one hundred percent.
—
There were only so many dramatic revelations Maddie could handle in one day. First Danny had a ghost flu, then it was worse than a flu, then he was dying, then he wasn't, and then it turned out he was dead all along. Her heart couldn't take it.
She sat on the floor in front of Danny's couch, watching him sleep. The reanimated ghost slept with him, curled up on his back. It was almost cute. Normally, Maddie would have blasted the thing to shreds by now for even getting close to Danny, much less touching him. But right now, that ghost was a sign of hope.
Not only did the ghost recover from the ecto-dejecto, but it gained consciousness. Unless, of course, the portal was conscious after all. That thought sent shivers up her spine. What did that say about Danny, who shared key DNA elements with the portal's ectoplasm? What did it say about the newly birthed ghost that already seemed so attached to him?
It was just Maddie, Danny, and the ghost in the lab. Jazz and Jack had gone upstairs to eat, at Maddie's insistence. It had been a harrowing day and it was barely past noon. Inching forward, she rested her elbows on the cushion beside Danny, folding her arms. The ghost on his back shuffled and yawned, but otherwise didn't acknowledge her. She took that as a good sign.
Danny had stopped shaking not too long ago. The discolouration on his skin had started fading, although not the way Maddie wanted it to. Rather than disappearing completely, it was turning a light salmon colour, a couple shades pinker than a nasty sunburn. Judging by the yellow stains that had yet to fade from the portal ghost, Danny's pink patches would not disappear completely. The sight of them sickened her. Not because they were ugly—Danny could never be ugly to her—but because they were a sign of what she had almost done.
The first few seconds after learning Danny was Phantom, Maddie felt betrayed. How could her own son not trust her with something so monumental? The second thing she felt was a cathartic realization as all the pieces fell into place. The failing grades, the absences, breaking curfew. All their inventions reacting to Danny. It explained everything. Looking back, she should have seen it sooner. Maddie really despised hindsight.
She reached out and brushed Danny's hair away from his forehead, briefly checking his temperature. Disturbingly cold, but Jazz said that was normal for him. Maddie had no choice but to trust her information.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. How many times had she threatened Danny to his face, without knowing it was really him? All the experiments she and Jack had proposed, all the ways they would take Phantom apart to figure out how he ticked. It was horrible.
"I'm so, so sorry." She ran her hand through his hair. Her palm came away wet. Confused, she stared at the ectoplasm streaked across her hand. Pushing Danny's hair back, she checked his scalp for an injury, finding a viscous patch of skin. Before Maddie could process what was happening, Danny was already halfway gone.
"No, no!" She tried to hold him together, but it didn't work. Beneath her helpless gaze, Danny melted, leaving her kneeling in a pool of his ectoplasm, horrified. Her voice caught behind her tongue and refused to move any farther. Cupping her mouth, she croaked pathetically, squeezing her eyes shut. A horrible sob tore through her throat.
Maddie gripped the edge of the couch, punching the cushion. The ghost laying there squawked in protest. Maddie's head snapped up.
"You," she said. Pulling herself up, she braced herself on either side of the ghost. "This happened to you. You came back. How did you do it? Make him come back!"
Crying out in grief, she lowered her head against the couch, shaking. Danny was supposed to be fine. He was supposed to wake up and realize Maddie and Jack knew his secret. He was supposed to wake up and smile because he didn't have to hide anymore. He wasn't... he wasn't supposed to... he couldn't...
A soft white glow filled the room. Maddie opened her eyes, nearly blinded by the light. It came from the ectoplasm. Bright stretching over the puddle, rippling outward from the center at Maddie's knees. The ectoplasm started rising, the rings rising with it, cascading downward.
Slowly, a shape took form, growing out of the ectoplasm. A faceless blob that quickly grew a head, a torso, arms. An achingly familiar form. The ectoplasm creeped back together, sucked inward as the last of the rings faded, and Danny Phantom fell forward into Maddie's waiting arms. She buried a hand on his hair, pressing his face against her shoulder, and let out a broken laugh.
Danny shifted, his arms raising, wrapping around her. "Mom?" he asked, lifting his head.
Maddie wiped her eyes on her sleeve and pulled back so she could see him. He looked different. Where white strands had glistened in Danny's human hair, a black streak now marked his ghost form. His eyes were brighter. Green flecked sparkled on his cheeks like stars. Two new, sharp teeth sat over his canines and lateral incisors on either side of his mouth. He even looked a little taller.
The discolouration remained, though. Grey instead of red.
He tipped his head down, focusing on his body. Startled into action, he yelped and scrambled away, putting distance between them. "I– I mean, Maddie. Madeline. Madeline Fenton. What are you doing here?" he said in a false, deep voice. "In your own lab. What are you doing here in your lab?"
Maddie couldn't help it. She laughed.
"Mo– addie. What, uh, what's going on right now? Am I being punked?" Danny floated back, casting a nervous glance around the room.
"I'm sorry, it's just." She paused to giggle. "How did you ever keep this a secret from us? That voice is so terrible."
"Hey! I like my voice!" Danny shouted, dropping the false voice. His eyes widened and he quickly resumed the charade. "I mean, I like my voice. This voice. This is my voice. And you... you are still laughing."
"Danny..." Maddie wiped her eyes again, this time tears of happiness. "We know."
"You... know?"
"We know."
Danny gawked at her. All it took was Maddie opening her arms and he flew forward, crashing into her.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied," he whispered.
Maddie nearly started crying again. "I'm sorry you had to."
"I just, you and Dad. Fighting ghosts is what you do, and I panicked and didn't tell you, and then it felt like I had waited too long. But I... how do you know?" He peered up at her, tilting his head.
"Jazz told us. We thought... we thought you were dying."
"I felt like it."
Maddie cringed.
"Oh, no, geez, I didn't mean it like that. I meant before you got me with whatever that was. I don't remember anything after that and now I feel kind of great actually," Danny said in a rush. Standing up, he flexed his fists and looked down. Following his gaze, Maddie saw he was examining his reflection in the floor. "Did I go through ghost puberty or something?"
Silence stretched between them for a second.
"Oh my god," Danny said, eyes widening. "I totally went through ghost puberty."
He leaned down to get a better look. Before he could, the portal ghost barrelled into his chest, throwing him back against the couch. The ghost zipped around him, nuzzling him and saying gibberish words. At least it sounded like gibberish to Maddie.
Danny caught the ghost in his arms, trapping it against his chest in a bear hug. "And who's this?" he asked.
"Your new best friend," Maddie teased.
"Damn. Sam and Tucker will be so disappointed." Danny flopped onto his back, holding the ghost above his head as if it were a cat.
Maddie felt a sense of calm wash over her. She didn't realize she had still been nervous, but hearing Danny's sarcastic voice, seeing him play with the new ghost, her worries finally disappeared. Everything was going to be okay.
#phic phight#phic phight 2020#danny phantom#phanfiction#phanfic#phicc#tumblroneshots#hurt/comfort#reveal fic#ghost puberty#ghost sickness#slight melting#but it gets fixed
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