#a life unlived extended universe

[dyns33]

Obvious

Most of the time I see him as the cool silly big bro, but I love Deadpool, so here's a long Deadpool x female reader.

Normally nothing destined Y/N to meet Wade Wilson.

A normal life, without enemies, without superpowers, without contracts on her head. She didn't fight, respected the law (at least for the most serious and important things) and she considered herself to be a good person.

The first time she had passed Saint Agnes Orphanage, she hadn't really paid it much attention. The second time, she found it a little strange that an orphanage was in this part of the city, which was not really made for children.

Then one evening, when she had had a bad day, she realized that it was a bar and she decided to go in for a drink.

Since she thought an orphanage was strange in that place, she might have thought it was odd for a bar to have such a name. She could also have been scared when she saw the other customers, who all turned towards her, indicating that she might not be welcome.

But Y/N was tired, and she just wanted a drink before going home, so she smiled politely as she sat down at the counter.

The waiter frowned, but he agreed to serve her with a shrug, muttering that as long as she was an adult, it wasn't his problem.

A tall, bald, tattooed guy then approached her, putting a hand on her arm without worrying about her private space, asking her if she wanted to follow him home.

"… No thanks."

“Come on, don’t be a slut.”

"Please."

“Come with me, you stupid bitch.”

"Now, that's really not very nice. The lady said no, a gentleman should know it's time to leave. But no Hector, not only are you insisting, but you're being rude."

"Fuck you, Wade, don't get involved in this !"

The waiter continued to mumble about cleaning, while this Wade guy smashed Hector's head against the counter. A tooth even flew close to Y/N’s face.

That might have been enough to scare her completely. In addition to the surge of violence that was happening right next to her, there was the red suit, the katanas and other guns, which could make you want to flee as quickly as possible.

But when he finished kicking Hector's ass, Wade turned to her, and despite the mask, it was obvious that he was smiling, extending a hand towards her.

"Miss, my apologies for that boor. He knows nothing of good manners."

"… Thank you."

"You're very welcome, lovely angel ! Wade Wilson, Deadpool, Merc with a mouth, at your service ! Oh, he spilled your drink… Bad Hector ! Or was it me ? Maybe it was me. Weasel, the same for the little lady, on my note !”

“You already owe me a fortune.”

“I will kill whoever you want for free !”

“I thought you didn’t kill anymore.”

"Ah yes… I'll suck you for free !"

“Here you go, two drinks, just shup up Wade.”

In the end, Wade was a bit special, but not evil. He stayed with her, partly because he loved having someone to talk to, but also to make sure no one else was going to bother her again.

And he talked a lot. Everything he said didn't always make sense, he even seemed to be talking to himself sometimes, but he was funny. It seemed to please him that Y/N laughed at his jokes. Behind the counter, Weasel was still muttering that she was doing something silly.

Among the long tirade he delivered that evening, she understood that Wade had not had an easy life. That he had done some things that could make him a criminal, but he had been trying to improve for some time.

"Colossus already wanted me to become an X-men but it wasn't for me. Wait, there are X-men in this universe ? I do not know anymore. Anyway, there's Spidey and Devy. No, he's right, this nickname isn't great, Devil. Like Daredevil. They want us to be Team Red, but only if I stop unliving people. It's not fair because they're friends with Frank, and Frank keeps unliving people, but he lost his wife and his kids, so I guess he has more sympathy points than me."

"I don't understand everything, but I guess Spidey is Spiderman ?"

"Yes ! He's super cool ! And his ass ! People confuse us sometimes, it annoys me, but it's a bit of a compliment. He's my role model."

Like a true superhero, Deadpool insisted on taking her home. He was terribly honest, saying that he could leave her a few blocks away, but that was useless, because as a former mercenary, he was very good at stalking people and he could find her address without difficulty, even if he only had her name.

"Which I wouldn't do ! Normally. I might want to see you again, and ask Weasel to find your number, but I know myself, I'll put it in my phone, and I'll hesitate for weeks, then I'll send a lousy message, you'll be scared, you'll block me, I'll be ashamed and I'll shoot myself in the head because I'm a moron."

“I can give you my number.”

"And I… Huh ? Huh ?! For real ?!" exclaimed Wade, jumping like a child on Christmas Day.

Wade called her right away, specifying that it was not to verify that she was giving him a false number but a little. Despite the mask, his face showed surprise when he saw that she hadn't lied.

"I should put a bullet in my head to make sure I'm not dreaming."

“You wouldn’t wake up.”

“Baby girl, we only just met, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

When Deadpool talked about shooting himself, he meant it literally. It often happened that he died, either because of an enemy, an accident, or by his own hand. But he always came back. A gift like a curse.

They became friends. It was obvious, and quite sad, that Wade didn't have many friends.

Most people around him couldn't stand him or were afraid of him. It was true that he could be quite unpredictable, especially when he got lost in his discussions with the boxes, or an imaginary audience. But he was never mean.

Weasel was more of a collaborator, Al was forced to accommodate him, and the other heroes, unable to get rid of him, tried to make him a nice guy.

And he was really nice. Crazy but adorable, funny and wanting to do well.

Very quickly, Y/N started to have a crush, and even more. Even after seeing him without a mask. He never took it off completely to eat, repeating that he didn't want her to lose her appetite or feel like throwing up.

But after landing in a trash can after a fight, and forgetting that he had invited her to watch Princess Bride, Y/N had seen him. Yes, his scars were a bit impressive, but they weren't that bad.

With an embarrassed smile, he waved his hand while remaining frozen near the entrance.

"… I can move if you want to run away. I won't follow you. I may look like Frankenstein's monster, but I only pursue young girls who ask me to. Or who deserve it. Because criminals have no gender, I don't discriminate."

“I brought popcorn.” was her only reaction.

"... Oh. Sweet ? Salty ? Caramel ? Al must have beer somewhere, hidden with the cocaine."

After that, he was a little less afraid to show his face, even though it was obvious he wasn't comfortable. It wasn't easy to reassure him, repeating that she didn't care about his appearance.

Y/N didn’t remember how they ended up having this conversation. The only thing she knew was that she was pressed against him, laughing, when she had innocently said it would be fun if they went out together.

This made Wade laugh, but a very serious laugh, leaving no chance and hitting where it hurt.

"You and me ? Ah ! No chance."

"Why ?"

"It's obvious."

A simple little sentence could sometimes do a lot of damage. Too busy making fun of the characters on the screen, Wade didn't see Y/N's look of sadness, just as he didn't feel her body stiffen.

Still, she should have expected this response. Of course it was obvious that they had nothing to do together. Deadpool was a super hero (in training), he was tall, muscular, funny, rich.

She had seen photos of his deceased ex, Vanessa. She had observed him flirting with beautiful women and men before. It was already fortunate that she was only friends with him.

So Y/N swallowed her pride, accepting the obvious, and not talking about the subject again.

But it was hard, because the more time passed, the stronger the feelings became.

It was even harder when Wade entered his depressive phases. He kept putting himself down, insulting himself and accepting insults from the boxes in his head. It took a lot of patience and perseverance to get him to put down his gun.

"Anyway, I'll come back later. Bad luck for the world. People would be happier if I wasn't here anymore. Maybe they'll miss me a little, for a few minutes."

“I would miss you, Wade.”

"Yeah… You say that because you're adorable, baby girl. But you'd be better off without me too. I'm a real drag."

“You saved me the first time we met.”

"And since then you think you owe me a debt. You know, every time we're in the street, the others look at me and they're afraid. If I wasn't there, you could be with them. You could have lots of friends.”

"I don't want lots of friends, Wade." Y/N sighed, taking him into her arms. “I’m glad we’re friends.”

“Oh, sweetie pie, me too !”

It was rarer for them to find themselves in the opposite situation. Not because Deadpool wasn't capable of empathy, but because she didn't like talking about her problems, preferring to keep everything to herself and cry out of sight.

Unfortunately, she had made the decision to become friends with a former mercenary who loved to jump from roof to roof, only to come visit without warning by tapping on the window.

Y/N had no time to hide her tears, holding back a sob as her eyes met those of Wade, who had stopped mid-movement, fist raised against his window.

He didn't hesitate before entering, terribly serious.

"Who ? Who did this ?"

“Wade…”

"Who made my baby girl cry ? I want a name. Spidey and Dev will understand. Yellow wants decapitation, White wants emasculation. Tell me who."

"It's really not necessary. It's not important."

“It’s important if you cry.” Deadpool growled as he looked around the apartment for clues.

Once he had an idea in his head, it was almost impossible to divert his attention. If it wasn't so important, it was possible with food or talking about Spiderman's butt. But this time he considered it very important.

Tired, Y/N thought that all she had to do was say that it was just a ridiculous heartbreak for him to calm down. He had no reason to kill someone just because they didn't love her back.

This actually seemed to calm him down a bit, as he patted his cheeks with his hands in a dramatic gesture.

"What ?! Someone doesn't love you ?! Someone doesn't like my sweet little angel ? Are they crazy or stupid. You deserve the best !"

"Actually… He's the one who's too good for me."

"Bullshit ! The important thing is love ! If a woman can marry a space duck, then everyone can be together, as long as it's legal and consensual !"

"… What ? No, wait, it doesn't matter. Wade, please forget it."

"A name. Let me prove to you that this fool doesn't deserve you, and not the other way around !"

"No."

"A name !"

"You ! It's you !"

For the first time since they met, Wade was silent for more than a minute, staring at her like he wasn't sure she was real. He often had hallucinations, so this happened to him.

Then he muttered incomprehensible things, probably speaking with his boxes to check that he had heard what she had just said.

"… Me ? As in, me ?"

“I know what you’re going to say.” Y/N sighed, wanting to disappear. "You've already said it, it's obvious that we're not meant to be together. You're charismatic, and strong, and funny, with powers. You save people, you have an extraordinary life, while I… I am me."

"… Baby girl. Do you have a fever ? Did you lose a bet ? Because… You saw me without a mask. You know I'm crazy and dangerous. There are several bounties on my head, I've unlived more people than the population of New York, and my favorite movie is Zoolander 2. When I said it was obvious… I meant that you were too good for me."

There had been a misunderstanding, each being convinced that the other could never want the other, because they were too different. But even though he was special, with skin problems and an inability to concentrate for more than ten minutes, Wade was much better than a space duck.

However, while she was sure of what she wanted, he hadn't clearly said what he expected next.

"I mean, if you just want to be friends, I'll understand."

"You can't tease me like that and then break my heart. Don't play with me, woman !"

“Wade…” Y/N sneered, as he gesticulated like a degenerate, declaiming his great love for her and her smile, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Taking advantage of his inattention, she approached him, until he froze when he felt her hands on his mask.

With a look, she asked him if she could take it off, and as he didn't move to stop her, she took it off first up to his nose, before hesitating.

Y/N didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, but she also didn’t want him to think that she didn’t want to see him if she didn’t go further. So she took out the whole mask, she observed Wade, smiling before kissing him.

"… Don't take what comes next as a bad thing." he whispered as their lips parted.

"What ?"

"I'm going to have a heart attack…"

As always, Y/N thought he was joking at first, until he collapsed in front of her, looking delighted even though his heart had stopped beating. Fortunately she was used to seeing him die, even if it was still a little traumatic.

It took almost an hour for him to wake up. Y/N had time to take a shower and make herself some tea, sitting on the couch to wait.

"Shit !" he shouted as he opened his eyes, looking around the apartment before looking at her. “Did we kiss ?”

“Yes and you died.”

"It's weird. Normally you go to heaven after you die, not before. But I probably don't have enough superhero points for heaven yet, so the other option is that I became totally crazy."

“Wade…”

"I know, White and Yellow would have told me. They're already saying that all the time, but they would have insisted, especially for me to escape from the asylum. It's no fun fighting with fake people and hippos. Was I dead long ?"

“No, a little over half an hour.”

"And you stayed with me, it's so cute. Nurse Y/N. No, Doctor Y/N, and I'll be Nurse Wilson. Oh, Doctor Y/N, I made a mistake in the dosage of a patient, I'm a bad nurse, punish me."

"… Let's see Nurse Wilson, we're in the middle of an intervention, calm down."

"Uh oh ! You're playing along !" Wade exclaimed, pouting from the ground. "I didn't expect that ! Wait, I need a blonde wig, and a white dress. You'll see, I look super sexy in a dress. Wait, we do this now or it's quick and we should have a date first ?'

“I wouldn’t say no to a date.”

"I see the genre, like in novellas. Doctor Y/N takes me to the restaurant to talk about my future promotion, but in fact, you are going to admit to me that I am pregnant with you, before I even enter your bed !"

“As long as you’re in my bed before the hundredth episode.”

“UH !”

The small, high-pitched cry of pleasure preceded a second cardiac arrest, Deadpool's mind imagining Y/N and him in a bed, with a stetoscope.

When she asked him if he was going to have a heart attack every time, he told her that he would probably die for good the day he saw her naked, or that they made love for the first time.

But Wade was a gentleman, he ate lots of vegetables, exercised, and begged Daredevil to teach him meditation techniques.

So he had the courtesy of having the next heart attack only after they were finished, and in the toilet. And every time after that they were together, Wade would go out of his way to just get a nosebleed.

Especially on Weasel's counter, telling him everything they had done or almost everything, which annoyed the poor waiter a lot, even if he knew that it would happened from the start, the moment he saw Deadpool with Y/N.

#deadpool #wade wilson #wade wilson x reader #deadpool x reader #deadpool fanfiction #deadpool imagine #wade wilson fanfiction #wade wilson imagine

[themarginalthinker]

@hypocriticaltypwriter *laughs manically as we slide into your dashboard*

Since you asked, who are we to deny?

This is all co-created with my writing and irl partner @berd-alert.

So, this is a collection of headcanons that, broadly, apply to just about anything we write within the Lost Boy's universe, but also some of it spills out into other vampire fiction we write, and some of it is SPECIFICALLY to do with our planned longfic You Can't Catch Me (and Make Me a Man), YCCM for short, which is in production right now and will be posted when it's closer to completion.

If you have any specific questions about THAT, feel free to ask or look through the, admittedly, small tag we have for it.

But! Here we go! Some vamp headcanons that we use as our baseline worldbuilding!

-Vampire bones opalize as they age! This extends to the blood, and by the time a vampire is about a hundred or so, their blood can appear white when spilled! Live long enough, and their teeth will flash rainbow iridescence.

-Vampire mate for life! We played with the idea of soulmates for a while, because we don't generally Vibe with the 'bound by fate, unable to fight it, you just Have to be with this other person, no choice' that most soulmate aus tend to have incidentally, but we found a little work around.

Vampires mate for life, but who they end up with is a bit of a range. There will be people a vampire will have Resonance with, people they just click with, drift compatible if you will, and they can 'date' around, but...once one is chosen, that's It. That is the mate for the rest of their unlives. It IS entirely possible that if a mate dies, the remaining of the pair COULD find another...but it would take hundreds of years to make enough mental distance to allow that to happen.

To give something of an example from our own story: David and Paul had Resonance, but so did Paul and Marko - Paul chose Marko, because they had it more. David and Star had Resonance, but so did David and Michael, and David chose Michael.

-Clans! You were given the other two vampire social groups in the previous post, but there is technically a third!

Clans are a group of vampires that are in no way related - don't share a sire, aren't born of another vampire in that group, literally just a collection of people living and working together. Clans are...the largest, but most unstable of any vampire social unit, unbound by packbond or blood. They can hold pretty big territories, but that power tends to be tenuous and prone to collapse and scattering. Occasionally you get a matepair gathering nomads and singletons to try and form something like an adopted pack, but they don't tend to stick together nearly as long as an actual pack or coven. This doesn't mean that clans are inherently violent or anything, it just means it's a much more open and loose, but less secure social arrangement for all involved.

-Nomads: singleton or matepair vampires who hold no territory and wander instead. (Fun fact, Alan Frog almost ends up like this in our offshoot story Flight Feathers because of Reasons ;) )

Magic and vampiric Banes/Boons

This gets its own little section because it's a little..long.

Banes/Boons: Just like in Twilight (yes! I know! I thought SOME of the vampire worldbuilding was a little cool! SMeyer is still,,..sus tho for a number of reasons) vampires all have a special little ability they get when they turn! A boon. Sometimes it can even manifest in their fledglinghood, but usually it takes fully turning for it to appear.

And just like getting a special ability, they also get a weakness that's particularly bad. A bane.

David: Boon - inducing hallucinations, false visions and even some tactile sensation (ie, making them feel heat, wind, the crawling of insect feet when it's not real). Bane - he is REALLY sensitive to sunlight. The others would take a few minutes of blistering and smoking to get to burning in the light, but David IMMEDIATLY goes up in flames. He can't even take sunsets/sunrises. It's bad.

Dwayne: Boon - animal communication/command. He can make animals do whatever he wants, and understand their thoughts and intentions. Bane - arithmomania. The old vampire folklore compulsion to count large groups of small items, like bowls of sesame or poppy seeds, beans, beads, that kinds of thing.

Paul: Boon - mist transformation (also called incorporeality or 'vaporous transmogrification' if you wanna be fancy). Bane - affected by holy/blessed/consecrated objects and ground. Now, this one can apply to a number of things, not JUST Christian/Catholic religion. It depends wholey on the intent of the blessing and object. If someone were to sincerely cast a pentagram for healing and life, Paul would still be hurt by touching or being around it.

Marko: Boon - mockingbird/doppleganger. Marko has this neat little ability where as long as he's heard it enough, he can mimic a person's exact voice and certain sounds, and cast a false image of himself into reality. Like a mirror illusion. (Paul and Marko are literally 'smoke and mirrors' lol.) So don't go wandering out into a dark woods at night if you THINK you hear a baby crying, or your friend crying for help, especially if you don't KNOW it's them. Bane - He's affected the most by herbal wards against vampiric energy, ie, wild rose, garlic blossom, mountain ash, and such.

Michael: Bane - extra sensitivity to running water. The others can at least stand to take a shower, but Michael can barely even do that. He can't swim in a river, or the ocean. Full body burns as if he's stepped into the sun. Now, we go more into detail with this in the story, but Michael's Boon is a little odd, and makes more sense in the narrative. Memory visions. If he spends enough time around you, he will eventually start getting visions of your memories.

Also, as something else to look over as background for how the world works, here is a post detailing magic and what...vampires even are. Short answer: they're a kind of fae. The old kind. Spooky, dangerous, scary, powerful. It goes more into detail than needs be here.

But uh. Yeah. Headcanons for the worldbuilding of the world the Lost Boys inhabit. There's a lot more, but that ties a bit more firmly into the story of You Can't Cath Me. Again, any questions you might have, feel free to ask us! You can also find more little tidbits collected under my Lost Boys Masterlist in my pinned blog post.

Thanks for showing interest! We adore talking about this stuff. :>

#the lost boys #the lost boys 1987 #YCCM #headcanons #worldbuilding #vampires

[sadkidwarexpert]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰

t/w: none, this is mild angst.

a/n: i know i don't talk to anyone, it's nothing personal, im just too overwhelmed and barely keeping up with any social stuff, even texting my close friends is hard, so just excuse that. i have few energy left so i want to save it.

tags: @daisycheols @etherealyoungk @scarlet789

Sometime between the black of night and violets of early dawn, she had crept from the warmth of her blanket up to the frozen roof. It was damp, the clouds were generous earlier, the sky had poured when her eyes did, and even more so. The earthy, after-rain scent softly grounded her loud mind, sending soothing tendrils up to her thoughts and tethering them down. She could see her reflection in the small puddle on one of the tiles, a grim-faced creature with the same dark stare as of that crow perched next to her. A companion of sorts, like recognized like, its head cocked to the side, beady black eyes gazing at her empty green ones, its curiosity searching. She wondered if it sat there out of genuine camaraderie or if it was patiently waiting for the last signs of life to leave her like everyone else did and turn her into a festive feast.

The thought made her smile, her lips painfully tugging from dryness. If this crow was the friend she'll have then welcome, anything better than solitude that kneads you into yourself until the lines are all a blurred mess of pain and pain. Sheepishly extending a finger towards the bird, she held her breath as her heartbeat picked up a notch, afraid to startle the thing into disappearing in a flap of ebony wings, but it stood still, watching her, beak pointing towards the tip of her finger, until they touched, ever so slightly. She traced it's tiny head, a jolt going through her as its warmth surprised her; she hadn't touched a living being for a long time.

"Fancy a cup of tea, you silly thing?" she whispered, her voice hoarse and unused.

The crow blinked once and hopped closer to her, nuzzling against the fuzzy sweater she wore. The proximity amused her, how bold it was to be that close to a human, and her of all people, her with the electric temper, the wild words and dark stares. Her with trembling hands and fleeting headaches, with her bursting sadness and subdued thoughts. She was the dimmest person she knew, sometimes even relished in that, knowing that even though she was repulsive, that served her sometimes in keeping people away, because they were simply a liability, just like she was, even if in many different ways. It was a two-way relationship of burdening, to them she was the burden, but to her it was the heaviness of the key to her jumbled universe, unlocking it and letting it tumble down in a big mess of fragments, then explaining each crack and shard, the war that triggered the boom, and then playing it all down, with frosting on top so it didn't look that disturbing. Her problem with people was that they never understood, the quantum of how her heart and mind didn't fit together at times and at others way too much, the mechanics of how a normal notion could turn murderous in one second, and shut her entire system down the next. The more she explained, the larger the enigma grew until it became too suffocating to look at the pity and disgust in their faces, and she preferred her own grotesque reflection. The familiarity.

Her sudden jostling startled the crow, but she knew it would follow her down the ladder and into the warmth inside. The only light was the hazy glow of the moon, and at that hour she thought it best to just keep the lamps off, she did not need another thing gnawing the cracks of her overloaded mind at that time; night was for peace. Miserable, suffocating, unlivable peace.

A shy croak, What are you doing?

"Trying for a safer option of caffeine," she said, scoffing at herself. "Coffee is a bit vicious."

The putrid stench of sulfur burned through her nostrils, making her cringe against it, but the fire on the matchstick was a beautiful wisp of oranges and blues, nature's pallette burning warmth inside her chest as memories flew by, of sunsets and sunrises, of shrieks of laughter fading on the horizon, of ambition and aspirations igniting in her eyes. But that fire quickly turned red, and along the way came the rage, the crippling fear, until it singed her into black nothing, until the phoenix died one last time and all left were ashes for her to mourn. She frowned, and set the kettle on the stove.

The glass jar of tea leaves was soothing cool in her palm as she checked how much was left; two fingerwidths. It was her favorite mix, dried berries with black tea and a hint of peppermint, the closest thing to spring that she could taste, made specially for her by her grandmother, when she visited. Her chest tightened; she hadn't seen her in months. It always felt like a knife between her ribs, this distance she kept from everyone, even those who didn't deserve it, her nan least of all. In some twisted way she was afraid, of the rawness of love, of the vulnerability it would unleash in her and force her to disintegrate, but most of all, she was afraid of her own shadows, and how they will possess all the light and snuff it out. She was afraid to seep into lives like poison, leaving decay behind. She had to sit with her rot, fine and fair, but never another.

The water boiled, she poured it over the leaves in her chipped mug, and stirred it, sugarless, until water bloomed a clear crimson. She glanced at the crow again, that was standing now at the edge of the sink. She took a moment to admire it's shimmering black coat, before extending her palm, hoping it would be brave enough to join her in front of the fireplace on her couch. The only invitation she'd extended to anyone. The only one answered.

The mug wobbled in her unsteady grip under her disapproving frown, and wondered maybe doing something with her hands to strengthen them would be a better choice than lying in bed at all times, it seemed that even though she held books and cooked scraps of meals it wasn't enough yet. She dropped into the couch, the crow bobbing in her palm, and lightly stroke it's wing with her thumb, chipped nail rough against the feathers. There was warmth in her chest, a feeling she vaguely remembered, but she knew one thing for sure, and that was for this creature of darkness to accompany her till the sun embraces her again.

"The pin cushion is big enough for you to sleep on," she whispered, as she lifted the bird to her eye level. "It's warmer here than out in the woods."

There was a bitter aftertaste to the desperation in her voice, and the break at the end of it almost went by unnoticed, but not by her. It disgusted her, this weakness, and she wished she was made of steel. Cold, unyielding, solid, not this easily ground, fragile husk.

The crow had nuzzled into her chest for the entire night and a few hours after dawn, before flying out and leaving her alone for breakfast, but the twigs it brought while she was asleep will forever remain in her pocket, along with the small black stone, and the stainless steel chain it had found too. Maybe they'll remain with her until she'd become nothing but remains, maybe until one day they all mold into the earth from where they've come, to the waiting womb.

•

©2023 sadkidwarexpert, Eboni.

#writeblr #mental health #writer #writers on tumblr #writing #short story #drabble #dead poets society

[myinconnelly1]

What is your favorite desert? Sam/Reader.

My favorite dessert changes all the time.  I guess peanut butter + ice cream is always a win.

ASK MYIN

Word Count: 99

A life unlived extended universe.

“Wait, do you want Reese's or ice cream?”  Dean asked as his frustration mounted new heights with the pregnant girl who was in tears on the couch in front of him.

“I don’t know!”  Myin sobbed as her hormones caused mood swings of comical levels.  “Don’t touch me!”  She wailed as Dean went to put a comforting arm around her shoulders.  “I just want Sam back.”

“I know, me too,”  Dean whispered as he sat next to her.  Eventually, she sniffled and curled against his chest.

“I never should have kissed you,”  Dean’s voice broke with regret.  “I’m sorry.”

@waywardbaby @destielhoneybee @snffbeebee @deangirl7695 @spnbaby-67 @maddiepants @ladywinchester1967 @woodworthti666 @miraclesoflove @tumbler-tidbits​ @emilyshurley​ @akshi8278​ @mannls​ @wendibird​ @bobasheebaby​​ @theoneandonlymelol​ @chelsea072498​ @donnaintx​ @justsomedreaming​ @supernaturalenchanted​ @kalesrebellion​ @prettydeaneyes​ @emoryhemsworth @laphirablack @dontshootmespence @its-a-spn-thing @vicmc624 @idreamofplaid​ @deanmonandnegansbitch​ @winchesterxfamilybusiness​ @kickingitwithkirk​

#ask myin #1k celebration #reese #chocolate and peanute butter #a life unlived extended universe #Myin x Dean #Myin x Sam

[phantomphangphucker]

Legless On Maim Chap. 9: Gifts Of Time, Science, And Space

ClockWork is surprisingly helpful. Danny’s surprisingly not. Jack and Maddie are surprisingly good at ethical(ish) human(ish) medicine(ish). Lewis is surprisingly not and accidentally makes a ghost. And the duo that is Venom are surprisingly... surprising.

ClockWork smiles fondly, leans over, and pats Danny’s head, “I’m perfectly sound of mind and Core, child”. Danny only groans loudly in response.

But this is enough to get Maddie and Jack to their feet and drawing weapons, though not pointing them because something’s going on here. Jazz practically bolting into the kitchen and looking like she’s ten seconds away from blocking their line of fire and screaming ‘NO!’, only encourages them to hold off more. They knew Danny was close to her, trusted her, maybe told her things they didn’t know?

The ghost turns to the pair of hunters, them floating over the table, and actually bows exaggeratedly with a cheeky smirk, “greetings, Madeline and Jackson”. Jack blinks, having not been called that since he was basically born and they had to tell the nurse what to put on his birth certificate. While the ghost looks to Lewis, “as for the who, Lewis-”, making Lewis quirk an eyebrow over them following Danny in using his last name, “-you’d be right in assuming I’m ClockWork”, looking back to the hunters, “the ghost of time, or spirit, as you’ve chosen to dub the created dead”, grinning, “we prefer neverborn ghost of course. Born ghosts prefer unlived ghost”.

Danny lifts his head off the table to the sight of his parents' open mouth gaping at ClockWork, groans and bangs his head on the table again. ClockWork patting his head with their tail before Danny lifts his head up, returns his chin to his palm and sighs, “ClockWork, there are days I really wonder if you just like making me suffer”, sighing again while his parents give him really weird looks. Danny glances from his folks worriedly to ClockWork, looking mildly unimpressed and exasperated, “you’re gonna make me explain all this, aren’t you?”.

Jack raises an eyebrow at Danny, “Danny-boy? Do you... know them?”.

Danny slips his head off his palm and lets his face bang into the table yet again, “ugh. Yes”, lifting a hand limply and gesturing at ClockWork, his face still on the table, “Clocky. Timepants. Pocket-watch. Timedaddy. Kronos, when they’re being a real old-timer stickler”, sighing, “they’re kinda my-”, he’s probably going to regret deciding that lying wasn’t worth the effort here, “-ghost parent?”.

ClockWork shifts to their elderly form, “you say that as if it is a question”.

Danny lifts up his head purely to scowl at them, “oh my Ancients”.

“Yes?”.

Danny’s scowl deepens but he doesn’t get to say anything as Maddie cuts in, managing to sound only slightly accusing, “what does he mean, ghost”, glancing at Danny and softening her expression a little, clearly silently asking him the same question but nicer.

Jack nodding stiffly, “uh, yeah”.

ClockWork says precisely nothing, instead shifting to a child and sitting on Danny’s shoulder. Danny turns his head to gape at them, “seriously?”.

Lewis chuckles, “well I certainly see where Danny gets his mischievous side now”. ClockWork was absolutely a trouble maker and prankster. And fine, if prankster god wasn’t slightly horrifying.

Resulting in Danny screwing up his face and giving Lewis the most overacted ‘you did not just say that’ face ever, that effectively conveyed ‘what the fuck is wrong with you’ in about sixty-nine different languages. ClockWork just pats Danny’s head.

Danny looks back to his folks at his mom clearing her throat. Him chuckling awkwardly, “uh”, deciding screw it, it’s way too bloody late for this to not be awkwarder than a snow bunny trying to relax in someone's venti cup filled with espresso shots. Gesturing with both hands from ClockWork to his parents, “ClockWork, my parents; not that you didn’t already know that”, gesturing from his parents back to ClockWork, “mom and dad, ClockWork; my ghostly guardian because I am a child and ghostly enough to qualify for this shit and my life is bullshit and the universe has a horrible sense of humour and yeah okay I’m exactly the kind of mess to have a technical god watching over me more literally and this probably makes, like, zero sense and I’d rather you not shoot them and I have no idea why they’re here now and I'm just going to shut up now”, clacking his teeth shut and leaning back against his chair with his arms crossed. ClockWork, now an adult, repositioning to appear to be sitting on the top of the chair back (obviously they are actually floating though).

Jack and Maddie blink, exchange a Look, and go back to eyeing ClockWork -who’s suddenly a child again- warily; though they look less like they’re trying to restrain hostility and more simply cautious. Maddie sitting down slowly and stiffly, effectively pulling Jack to sit down as well, “explain”, her then glaring/squinting at the ghost, “why are you here”. Both of those were technically supposed to be questions but that didn’t sound even slightly like questions.

Danny seriously resists saying ‘I kinda just did’ both because that wouldn’t do him any good here and because she’s asking to explain the explanation. Jazz gives him an encouraging nudge as she relaxes and sits down herself; now sure her parents aren’t going to attempt to attack.

Danny swallows, “um, like I said. Ghostly parent. Guardian. Mentor. Teacher. Guide”, oh he is so never going to hear the end of this. Of him having a Guardian and being taught ghost things, and not telling his ghost crazed ectologist/hunter parents. Never. But his parents, or his mom at least, seemed to understand him not being super open with his ghostly shit. With him hiding it. So maybe. Just maybe. They’ll get him hiding this too. Maybe. Hopefully. Probably not. Big difference between ‘my body does weird ghost shit’ and ‘I hang out with literal ghosts’. Massive fucking difference. Huge. And ClockWork’s over here being their typical calm collected self. Jerk. Though that was probably a way of saying ‘this is fine and will be fine’; not gonna stop Danny from being a paranoid little bitch. Danny breaks the silence by reopening his mouth, looking to his mom, “um. They’re who I meant by that wise ‘friend’ I mentioned”.

Maddie squints at him a little before nodding and glancing back to the ghost. So this ghost -spirit or ‘neverborn’?- loved the living? That was... arguably good... okay. But she’s still not sure what’s even going on here. How can he ‘have a ghost parent’? That makes no sense. And pointing that out just effectively made Danny repeat himself, so obviously this didn’t cross his mind as ‘not normal’. She’s pretty damn certain a ghost wasn’t present when she gave birth to him, and carried him, and literally everything else. And he wasn’t born like this, born with a Core and ectoplasm. She would have noticed something like that. So what really is this ClockWork to him? Or how do they have the familial relationship Danny’s saying they do. Again Danny didn’t find this odd, so do ghosts just... get assigned a mentor ghost? That makes zero sense. Ghosts knew how to be ghosts from the get-go... right? But also, what the heck was some ghost -maybe ‘needed’ or not- teaching her son?

Jack tilts his head, watching the currently child-like ghost give Danny a little head pat. His son glancing up with the typical scowl he gave to the two of them for doing that or ruffling his hair, even looking a bit fond? And that wasn’t something that could really be faked. So close for sure. His boy was close with a ghost! What does he even do with this? Is it good? Bad? Kinda cool? If ghostie really was friendly -huh, friendly ghost, who would have thought? Danny apparently- then it was cool. The things he could learn! But how? “How are you related?”, Jack shakes his head, “wait no, they said created so no relatives at all”. Then squinting and becoming just a little giddy. Wait! They confirmed a theory! Or more so Dan’s theory. Blurting out, “you’re needed!”, pausing, right no assumptions anymore, “or are you?”.

ClockWork grins, “ghost of time. The time stream would quite effectively collapse without me”. A truly unfortunate truth. ClockWork lets them sit on that for a beat before adding, “of course I am an unfade so that hardly matters”.

Jack and Maddie blink, “an ’unfade’”, attempting to take this in stride.

“Indestructible. Immortal. I am an endless thing. I have always been and will always be”.

Jazz decides now would be a good point to interject, before her parents start building a questionnaire, “alright, I’m sure you didn’t show up to answer questions. So why are you here and could it have waited till after everyone had slept?”, Danny especially needed all the sleep he could muster.

ClockWork grins, “they asked to meet a good ghost, so I decided to let them. Though I can be more of a neutral when it comes to the universe or existence itself”. Ultimately, seeking to extend the existence of the universe and maintain the stability of time, were ‘good’ goals and jobs.

Lewis can’t help but chuckle, that was so painfully mundane but with complete chaos as a result. Which gets Maddie’s attention on him, “you are... very calm”. Maddie officially feels like Dan might have a better disposition for her job than she does.

Danny grumbles, “tell me about it”, because seriously, come on! Looking to ClockWork, “for the love of everything, tell me you had more reason than that?”.

Jazz butting in again, “no. No more questions. You all need to go to bed. And I need to go back to it”. Earning some neck rubbing from Danny. Maddie and Jack just gesture -with both hands- at ClockWork like that is reason enough for them not to. Jazz stands up, hands on her hips, “no. Bed. Now”.

ClockWork smirks and closes their eyes slightly, “I’ll make sure to tuck Daniel in then”. Making both parents immediately exclaim, “no! You’re a stranger to us! And a ghost!”. Which Danny glares at them over a little.

Jazz throws up her hands, “why do I try”, and attempts to smack ClockWork over the head, “you’re as bad as Danny”, blinking at her hand, which of course had just phased through ClockWork.

Danny snorts, “why did you think that would work? They see the future”.

Jazz points at him, “proof we need sleep”.

Jack lifts up a finger and opens his mouth, though closing his mouth at getting a harsh glare from his daughter. ClockWork answer his question anyway, no clue how the ghost knew what it was though, “the time stream flows trough my Core, to be without me would be rather similar to brewing coffee without the filter and picking your beans blindly”.

Lewis mutters, “the horror”, sarcastically. While ClockWork continues, “the universe would get nothing short of a mess and would likely throw out the end result with haste. And Madeline? I have in fact been watching over him since before you had been born yourself”, looking with an almost mean smirk to Jazz, “preventing your parents from speaking will not alter the fact that they did speak in another time”.

Jack is almost smiling over the new info and Maddie just looks incredibly confused. While Jazz sighs and rubs her temples, “at the very least Danny should sleep. If you’re a ‘parent’ then shouldn’t you be focused on his heath?”.

ClockWork smirks more, “and I am. After all, there are some timely issues. What better to empower timing mechanisms than-”, shifting to an elder, “-old man time, the being that empowers time itself”. Danny puts a hand over his mouth and chuckles; not even attempting to figure out what ClockWork means.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “you’re referring to the timer I’m guessing? I find it interesting that a ghost would be offering to help ghost hunters with their tech. Which is usually used for ghost hunting”. This gets literally everyone else to raise their eyebrows.

ClockWork shrugs very subtly, “they could hardly do me harm, and ghost hunting is far from the purpose here”, grinning and side-eyeing Danny, “put that tail to good use, people do tend to keep around that which is useful”.

Danny’s pretty sure he’s the only one who got that. ClockWork absolutely was enjoying his effectively full-time tail. Cheeky bastard. Rolling his eyes a little bit with a small smile at ClockWork poking his tail with theirs; letting his tail uncoil from the chair and effectively wind around and fiddle with ClockWork’s a little. Then scowling at Jazz for giggling at him.

Jack is struggling not to grin, only even trying not to due to this being a ghosts that deserves suspicion. Maddie furrows her eyebrows, “‘help with the timer’?”, then sounding very suspicious, “how?”, then glancing at Danny’s tail basically wrapped around the base of ClockWork’s, whose tail tip is patting his. The ghost seemed to imply It-they wanted him to keep the tail; not that there was another option. But why? Though come to think of it, she hadn’t seen them with legs at all, “is your tail constant?”.

Danny honestly feels quite pleased with himself and proud of his mom over her being kinda freindlyish. Danny deciding to be forthcoming to at least attempt to make up for never telling his folks about his Guardian; leaning forward, “yup”. ClockWork adding, “it is a common theme for Neverborn’s, yes”. Which Danny nods over. Nocturne, UnderGrowth, Vortex, the Observants, Remi, Silver; none of them had legs. Pandora and FrightKnight were two exceptions he knew of though.

ClockWork nods to themselves when Maddie hums acceptingly and thoughtfully, rightfully coming to the conclusion that they liked Daniel being similar to them; though she blames at least some of Daniel’s tolerance of his tail on them, which wasn't wholly wrong. “And Lewis’s guess is once again, correct. As is your guess that creating a stronger timer is simply beyond your capabilities”.

Maddie can’t help scowling at that while Jack pipes up, “I’m sure we could with enough resources”, managing to keep his tone down.

Jazz leans her head on the table and sighs. She’s staying awake at this point to keep an eye on her parents.

ClockWork chuckles faintly, “for what you seek to achieve, you would need-”, digging in their pocket, “-one of these”, and holds up the time medallion. ClockWork wastes no time in explaining away the twos confusion, “this is a time medallion. Only I can create them. They can allow the wearer exclusion from time or the manipulation of it. To travel to points in time or alter the flow of time, if settings are right. Only I can alter their settings. Though I can also grant another the ability to. If fused to a being they could even give a slight awareness of the future”, grinning almost meanly, “something that can entirely stop the flow of time around a being can certainly keep up with your creation”. ClockWork pockets the medallion while the three adults all gape slightly, ClockWork pulling out their own little timer device -that effectively looked like a silver time medallion with clock hands for adjustment nobs in the centre, all inside a dark gray circle- and holds it out to Jack; the more likely one take it. Unsurprised at Maddie instantly snatching it right out of Jack's hands, curious and mistrustful.

Maddie flips it over, noting that it was already completely compatible and based on the alignments was designed for waist placement; slightly to the right though. Glancing back at the ghost and noting their cloak clasp was a fair bit on the right, they were setting up the CyberSteps to copy them; and she’s gonna bet her and Jack can’t modify this. But no way in Hell were they sticking something that was a near unknown on their boy, especially if it was designed by a ghost; trying out Danny’s ghost-friendly approach or not. But if this was genuine and this ghost right, then they effectively gave Danny back functioning ‘legs’. She should probably thank them, giving a very very very awkward, “thank...you?”.

Danny blinks, goes slack-jawed, and leans back against his chair, mumbling, “my folks just thanked a ghost". Sure it was ClockWork but still. He’s made way more headway than he thought or his folks were trying really hard to chill the ghost hate. Sharing a surprised look with Jazz, also gives him a little wide-eyed encouraging smile.

ClockWork smirks and leans towards Danny’s ear, “I also have something of a job for you”.

Danny muttering while side-eyeing them, “uh, does it involve shooting you”, because seriously ClockWork. Thanks but, fuck.

“You’re welcome to try, Daniel”. Making Danny rolls his eyes, while ClockWork gives him another head pat before simply disappearing; leaving slightly awkward silence in their wake.

Jazz, surprisingly, is the one to break it. Pushing herself to stand up and asking in a way that sounds more like a command, “so can we go to bed now?”.

Lewis chuckles into his hand, “do you really think they will with that”, and points at the CW timer. The parents looking to it, Maddie biting her lip while Jack just looks excited; clearly tired though.

Jazz puts her hands on her hips and levels them with a glare, “that is a complete unknown to you. Do you seriously think you should be messing with that without sleeping?”, them inventing/working on sleep deprivation lead to either really weird inventions or a lot of destruction. And that was a gift (technically) from ClockWork, in two years she only knows of one thing ClockWork’s gifted Danny; a necklace with a stylised ‘CW’ in silver. Danny absolutely will be possessive and territorial -he’d honestly probably try snatching it from them if he wasn’t sleep-deprived himself- of it. So no way he’d sleep if they stayed up tinkering with it.

Jazz decides to take the initiative when her parents nod. Her pulling Lewis to stand up and pointing at his face, “you, make sure Danny sleeps. Then sleep yourself”. Danny throws a pouty look at her so she glares are him before making shooing motions at Lewis.

Lewis shakes his head with a chuckle and waves for Danny to follow, “I guess the sister hath spoken”, earning a round of weak laughs. Danny does actually float after him though, glancing over his shoulder at his folks and eyeballing the CW timer.

Lewis speaking up again at Danny’s door, “working legs, no revealing your legs, ghost bonding; guess your life’s glass is looking pretty half full”.

Danny pauses and blinks at him, before smirking weakly, “I’m pretty sure the entire bloody glass got ground into my fucking eyeballs when I fucking died”. Lewis doesn’t really have a response for that other than a chuckle, because yeah Danny’s luck was pretty bad.

Jazz nods curtly at the stairs before rounding on her parents, pointing at the CW timer, “no taking that apart, I don’t even want to know what might happen”, sighing, “and that’s a gift from ClockWork. I think it’s obvious Danny’s close with them, so think how hurt he would probably be if you wrecked it”. She decides she made the right call at both grimacing a little.

Maddie gets up, cradling the contraption cautiously, and nods, “right, thanks Jazz honey. I’m... going to put it in containment though”. Jack scurrying after her as she heads down to the lab. Jazz standing in the lab doorway, arms crossed, and making it very clear she will try to physically drag them to bed.

Maddie, unsurprisingly, doesn’t sleep very long; waking around nine. She spends about half an hour making coffee and sipping it at the table, getting a little surprised when Lewis comes down the stairs and pours himself a cup.

Lewis answers her question before she even asks it, “I’m used to working late shifts and morning shifts back to back. The occasional emergency call”. One needed to be bendable with their sleep schedule to be in the medical field. Another reason Danny was well suited. Sitting, “I take it you don’t sleep well on an active mind?”.

Maddie sighs and shakes her head, “no. Especially with a ghost being able to get into the house without any warnings or defences going off. Things put in place purely to prevent that”.

Lewis chuckles, yeah he could understand why she might have a few issues with that. “That ghost seemed more akin to a god. So I doubt defences really matter”.

Maddie sighs again, that in itself was an issue. She had managed to scan the ecto-signature ClockWork left behind, twenty-eight. Twenty-eight. Pariah had been a twenty-five. This ghost was the strongest they’d ever encountered, almost the strongest possible. And had some kind of positive relation with her son. “ClockWork scans at twenty-eight, so you’re not wrong”.

Lewis quirks an inquisitive eyebrow, “Danny might have mentioned the ecto-scale but I can’t say I know what each level means”. Twenty-eight was obviously incredibly strong though.

Maddie nods, “it doesn't mean much, but it tells us how a ghost compares to others. It goes up in increments. Basically, a two is as strong as a one and a half. A three is as strong as two twos. A four is as strong as two threes and a half. And so on. So the higher the numbers the bigger the gap. So a twenty-eight would be fourteen and a half times as strong as a twenty-seven”, sighing, “a thirty though doesn’t follow the algorithm, a thirty is twenty times as strong as a twenty-nine. I’m not sure why Danny changed it for that level, but he’s got a good sense about more tech or biological ghost things”. Which just makes her wonder why the Hell they never listened to him before on the things that didn’t line up with their theories. But then again, Danny’s theory on power levels had been proven in the field. They hadn’t believed him at first because the algorithm he made was frankly terrifying. Sure the fact that Danny’s scale accounted for things like general ectoplasm (one), ghost plants (two), and whisps (three); helped but still. Technus was a seven and he could be tricky to beat when he didn’t sabotage himself. (Trying to use ‘proper pronouns’ for ghosts, which Danny always seemed to preach, was... strange). And this ClockWork was effectively six-hundred-and-twenty-two-thousand times stronger. Course ectoplasmic power only meant so much, Technus was generally easy to defeat; very easy.

Maddie speaks back up at Lewis’s impressed whistle, “what really matters is the class of a ghost. Class takes into account powers, enhancements, and restrictions. One through six. A six could effectively end the world easily”, furrowing her eyebrows, “ClockWork’s a five, which seems strange”, that kind of power, time control and omniscience, seemed practically like ultimate power. What was holding them back? Or maybe they lacked powers other ghosts had?

Lewis chuckles, nods, and sips at his cup. That kind of power was pretty nuts, and man was he glad Eddie just dealt with regular ol’ humans. No gods, no alternate dimensions, no royalty, no symbiote hunters. Danny was in a whole nother league. But at least Danny’s enemies kinda respected him or straight up seemingly liked him. And he had powerful allies. Anne was right though, Eddie will be so severely out of his depth, Danny very much being a teen will help with that though.

Maddie speaks up again, breaking the slightly comfortable silence, “I wonder if Danny knows any other ghosts personally”, it would seem logical that he did. Wouldn’t make sense to just be friends, family?, with one powerful one. People don’t start out befriending the top dogs, they start at the bottom. And she’ll admit to being suspicious that Danny might have befriended some of the local ghosts. Had worried his ‘too friendly’ attitude about ghosts had extended to actually being friendly. That worry was apparently founded, but... it really was seeming like Danny was right which meant that this wasn’t exactly bad. Just... concerning. And Danny hiding his friend(s), family?, from her, from Jack, was honestly more upsetting at this point. Even if she understands his reasoning. She had hid her relationship with Jack from her parents for somewhat similar reasons after all.

Lewis pointedly looks around and covers his mouth with the cup, he’s not saying shit. Though there’s really no point in saying ‘no’.

Maddie glances at him a couple of times and squints, catching him clearly trying to restrain a small smile, “he does, doesn’t he”, that was definitely not a question.

Lewis makes eye contact and smirks in genuine, “well, at least one other has checked up on him to my knowledge. And that Skulker one has approached me about his legs; Danny did say he makes good pie too”. Sure, it was for ‘his pelt’ but he’d bet money that ghost was really fond of Danny.

The first thing that goes through Maddie’s head is that one is a known threat, a ‘villain’ ghost, why and how had Danny made ‘friends’ with It- him? The second thing is... wait he bakes? And it’s edible? But ghosts don’t eat, right?

Lewis keeps going, “Skulker also seems to like the idea of Danny having my job, though that might have encouraged him to teach Danny knife skills or something. And the other ghost, Johnny I’m pretty sure, threatened me because he thought I might be hurting him”, might as well hammer home that ghosts at least kinda cared about Danny. Would help with the whole ‘getting them to not hate ghosts or think they’re evil post-human manifestations’ thing.

Maddie blinks and stares at Lewis a bit, what? “That... doesn’t make sense”. The biker was another ‘villain’ ghost. Less ‘villain’ more ‘delinquent’, but tried to use her little girl so he was pure evil to Maddie. And didn’t Danny punch It-him? They’re not friends, that wouldn’t make sense. So why would he be attempting to protect Danny? And she still couldn’t picture that metal ghost baking anything. Unless... going a little wide-eyed, “teaching. Feeding. Protecting”, shaking her head a little and sounding almost awed, “they view him as one of them... but weak... and small”, blinking and muttering down at the table, “like a cat taking in a baby squirrel”. Or like Tarzan or a human raised by wolves. Her awe getting an edge of horror because just what were these ghosts teaching her baby boy?

Lewis decides against saying anything, because Danny got the shit kicked out of him by these ghosts. He can’t point that out without being seriously suspicious. And it would be pretty pointless.

Danny sticks his head in the kitchen at that very moment, likely having heard Maddie’s entire comment. Okay, Lewis is sure he did based off of looking like he’s trying to force his smile to not look completely and utterly nervous; the little ‘shut the fuck up, what were you thinking’ look he throws Lewis’s way really emphasises that. Maddie looking to him still wide-eyed probably doesn’t help the kids nerves.

Danny gives a little stiff wave, which he’s hoping is blamed on the restrictive braces, as he goes to start up (much stronger)coffee for himself. Part of him is glad she gets up to try and help after a beat -trying to pick up cups with finger braces was not easy okay?- but also, he can do it himself thank you very much. “I’m fine”.

Maddie pulls her hands back, holding them to her chest, “right right”, that ghostly pride thing. Instead awkwardly watching him fiddle with the machine. Danny almost wants to beg her to stop hovering.

Danny clutches his cup like it’ll give him life as he sits down, tail curling up and tip flicking in the air, “so... dad still sleeping?”.

Maddie nodding and giving an awkward, “yup”. As silence descends, only broken up by the occasional sipping sound from Danny.

Danny practically launches himself out of his seat when Tucker effectively kicks in the door, “dude, weekend time so you know I ain’t leaving your as... butt alone”, and waves innocently at Maddie; while Danny reacquaints himself with his chair.

Danny chuckles faintly, “no Sam?”, he knew Valerie was working this weekend.

Tucker quirks an eyebrow at him as he plants himself at the table, totally obvious to Mrs. Fenton’s tension, “I’m surprised you don’t know? Her mom dragged her off to a gala”. Danny pulls out his phone and cringes at the wall of ranting all caps in the chat.

Maddie sighs and shakes her head, using this a conversational life raft, “I’ll make her cookies”, why baking never came to life but cooking usually did, she’s not sure she’ll ever know. Well there was that one time with muffins, but that was intentional.

Danny goes wide-eyed and pokes Lewis with his tail, “you. You owe Tuck food. Bake shit”. Lewis raises disbelieving eyebrows at him so Danny explains, “well technically I owe him your baking. Tomato potato”.

Lewis chuckles with a head shake and gets up, “I guess I’ll see what there is to work with here”. Maddie getting up to show him were everything was; still feeling stiff and a little freaked.

Tucker grins, free food! “Sweet!”, turning to Danny, “so hurry up and get leggy again. Vampire Dad two is coming out, like, now”.

Danny rolls his eyes and rubs at his neck, “eh, that might happen sooner rather than later”, glancing at his moms back as she stiffens a little and pulls out a square pan rather jerkily, “CW showed up and lent a hand”.

Tucker’s eyebrows shoot up, he glances at Maddie quickly, “shit seriously?”. Danny nods and nods again when Tucker side-eyes his mom, clearly asking if she saw them. Tucker shakes his head, “they’re as nuts and reckless as you. If that even applies to them”. Danny can’t help chuckling at that ’cause it wasn't really either when you knew the outcome beforehand.

Lewis mutters, “yeah sure fine, I got this”, as he looks over ingredients while Maddie turns to face the boys.

“About that... how do you know them? And the... family thing?”.

Just as Danny’s opening his mouth to answer Jack barges in, looking drastically more awake than everyone else, “without me, Mads?”. Making her blush.

Tucker pats Danny on the shoulder supportively, that just gets Mrs. Fenton’s attention on him though, “you know don’t you?”.

Tucker shrugs with very intentional nonchalance, “I doubt there’s anything me and Sam don’t know about Danny-dude”.

Maddie nods, resisting sighing. She’s not exactly surprised. A little bothered? Yes. But not surprised. Those three were close, closer than she thought friends could be. She hadn’t noticed until Danny seemingly knew Sam’s bra size like it wasn’t odd for him to know that. And she’s sure she’s overheard that Sam pays for Tucker’s replacement glances; she’s not sure how they get broken so much. Shaking her head, not important right now, “well I guess I’m glad you’re close then”, looking to Danny, “so?”. While Jack sits down looking a little over-eager.

Danny gives Tucker a nearly pleading ‘help?’ look, so he gives him another pat, “all you man, your parents”, shrugging, “and it’s not like anyone other than you knows much about them. In fact-”, getting up, “-I think I’ll go help Lewis”. Danny whips Tucker’s ankle with his tail for that, nearly making the boy face-plant. Tucker mumbling sarcastically, “you'll regret that one day when I’m mayor”.

Danny whispers in ghosts with a smirk, “p͘͡ri͝n̡̛c̢͘e͜͝”, knowing Tucker knows exactly what he said; regardless of not knowing the language. Then clearing his throat and looking to his folks, “heh”, shaking his head, “uh, anyways. I, uh, meet them when they kinda savedallourlives”, chuckling awkwardly and shaking off the unpleasant memories, he is not getting into that with his folks, “But they, well, broke the law? in the way they helped, so that pretty much made me their responsibility. And they’re, uh, how I knew the impurity in Vlad’s ecto-acne. So kinda saved him too”.

Maddie cuts in before he can continue, “so this ‘ghost parent’ thing wasn’t really intentional or... willing?”. Making Jack frown.

Danny grimaces, “not really? ClockWork knew what would happen, explicitly. So willing and wanted there. They could have helped in a different way. So, uh, also technically intentional. And for me?”, shrugging, “I didn’t know Guardians were a thing so really couldn’t be intentional. I guess technically not willing either but-”, smiling sheepishly, “-who the Hell gets to pick their family?”, shrugging, “and I like them”.

Jack can’t help but chuckle at that. Danny-boy did have a point there. He’s fairly sure almost no one would willingly chose them as parents. And wow, he effectively had ghost family! How weird was that?! ‘Cause Danny’s family meant Jack’s family. Period. And any ghost who saved his boy -and apparently his entire family and Vladdie!- certainly couldn’t be evil and deserved some trust. Though he can’t help worrying that this ghost wanted to be Danny’s ‘guardian’ intentionally for bad reasons. He’s sure Mads is worried about that too. “But son, there’s something I don’t get? Why? Why would they want this? Want you? Heck! Why and how is ghost adoption even a thing?”.

Maddie nods at Jack before looking to Danny and frowning a little, “you’re human; even if slightly ghostly. The child of ghost hunters; even if you’re probably not going to be one yourself. And they’re, well, ridiculously strong; wouldn’t it make more sense to want a, how do I put this? strong kid?”, furrowing her brows and knowing Danny’s probably not going to take this well, “it’s not because of us being hunters is it? Because sweetie, I very well could see a ghost trying to get to us through you and Jazz”.

Tucker, next to Lewis, having just nodded that ‘yes, adding fudge is a good idea’, very heavily cringes. Even him and Sam knew better than to question ClockWork’s motives especially regarding their fondness for Danny. That was a good way to get a pissed off Danny. Or in Tucker’s case, shot in the face -or the crotch, that one notable time- with an ecto-beam. He does not recommend.

Danny, surprising no one, scowls and actually snaps with a bit of a snarl and power behind it, “no”, making everyone jerk a little. Maddie and Jack going a little wide-eyed, and Tucker cringing more. While Danny continues, tail actively lashing at the air aggressively and occasionally constricting around the chair legs hard enough to make creaking sounds, “you have nothing to do with it. Nothing. So don’t go there”, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose and grumbling angrily in ghost, “sh̶͡ơ̶u̸̢͡l̴d̡͝ h҉͞av͢͠e ̷f̨įgu̢r̷͜͝ęd.̴͜ ̴̶O͠f̶͢ ̸͢fuc͘k̨̧i͞n̷̛͢g̸̕͠ c͏o̸u͢r҉se͞.̧̡ ̨G̶̢hos̷t̨s̸͞ ͟͡s̕t͢ill ̢̢c͘͟͝a̢͘n’̷͡t ͘͟b͡e ̛tru̷̧̧st̴ed̶̕ ̢͝hų̧h̴.̨ ̴F̕͜u͜҉c͝ķ͟i͡n̷̕g̴ ͘͞͞A͟͠n͝c̕͝i̸̵e҉͞n̨͜҉t͘s̕”.

ClockWork picks that very moment to appear out of thin air, smacking Danny (somewhat gently)on the head with their staff, “they mean nothing by it. One can hardly expect the uninformed to understand. So explain”, and promptly disappears... again; leaving everyone (but Danny) gaping.

Danny makes some kind of whiney noise, puts both his hands over his head, and turns to exaggeratedly pout at the air where ClockWork had been.

Tucker wheezes and slowly crumples to the floor, “you’ve been told! Ha!”.

Danny turns to scowl at him, hands still on his head, “shut it, Tuck”. Dropping his hands and looking to his still gaping parents, “so... that just happened”.

Lewis chuckles faintly at that, “kid, that was worse than the time a friend of mine literally got shot, just took a sip of some fruity drink and asked the guy how the weather was”.

“Well if there was a tornado, that would be logical”.

Lewis actually turns around and points the batter spoon at him, “no. No it was not. Now stop being a little shit and talk to your parents before they blow a gasket”.

Danny rubs his neck awkwardly and looks to his folks, “um... sorry for going a bit... ballistic there. But, uh, I don’t take well to that. So just don't, okay? Their intentions are good, let’s just leave it at that”.

Jack and Maddie make a few unusual faces before nodding a bit. Jack clearing his throat, “alright, son. Does... that happen a lot?”, and nocks on his head for emphasis.

Tucker lays on the ground laughing, making Danny roll his eyes but losing a fair bit of tension. Danny grumbling petulantly, “only when I’m being stupid...”, smirking slightly, “or trying to use them for a prank”.

Lewis smirks himself and speaks while spreading batter, “so all the time?”. Danny turns his head and gives the back of Lewis’s head an overacted scowl. Lewis only smirks more over that.

Maddie clears her throat, recapturing Danny’s attention. Danny chuckles awkwardly, “right, explaining”, furrowing his eyebrows and sounding sheepish, “what were the questions again?”.

Jack chuckles a little at that while Maddie smiles and answers, “just why would a ghost adopt, adopt you specifically. Would want to”.

Danny nods, “right. I guess that might be confusing”, seeing as they didn’t know he was a ghost. And huh, the whole concept of Guardians was probably foreign to them. Probably should have realised that sooner.

Lewis snorts, “‘might’?”.

Danny turns to him, “you’re Mr. Snark today, huh?”.

Lewis shrugs, “eh, friends didn’t react to the fact that I’m making brownies”, turning and pointing at Danny, “that’s concerning”, before turning back around to slide the pan into the oven.

Danny blinks, right Vee was chocolate crazy. Really chocolate crazy. “Fair”, Far be it for him to harp on someone for being paranoid and worried over someone’s safety. Then smirking a little, “though if they’re hungry they can just get a bowl of Symbi-oats”, he can read a tired sigh/groan in Lewis’s body language.

“They’re not huge fans of cereal. They eat a lot of Chinese though”.

Danny snorts, “everyone already knows they love rawmen, Lewis”, successfully getting the guy to choke.

Danny promptly looks back to his folks and rubs his neck, “it would be easier to just, well, explain Guardianship in general?”, continuing when they both nod acceptingly, “cool, um okay. Well, so like, when ghosts form they form all their ectoplasm and Core yeah? But, like, there are adult ghosts and child ghosts. Dead ghosts always start out as child ghosts whether they died a child or not. Ditto for born ghosts”, shrugging awkwardly, “created’s are a toss-up”, shaking his head, “anyway. Child ghosts have... immature I guess? Cores. They’re weaker, less powers, less stable, more unruly and reckless; lots of things. Usually kinda sucky at being a ghost and look more like when they were alive. Adult ghosts are just instinctively or naturally a bit protective or teachery towards child ghosts”, shrugging, “kinda like humans and babies really“.

Jack and Maddie blink, Maddie opens and closes her mouth a few times so Danny pauses to let her think. Her eventually speaking up, “so ghosts.... collectively care for younger ones”, and blinks in shock a bit more because that is so far out of alignment with what they thought of ghosts.

Danny wiggles his hand in the air, “ehhhhhh, I wouldn’t go that far. Child ghosts are the most likely to get, well, murdered”.

“Oh”.

Danny nods, “yeah”, clearing his throat, “most child ghosts will get taken in or under the wing of or whatever; by an adult they impress or that likes them or is just similar to them or maybe related in life”, shrugging, “eh, it varies”.

Jack butts in at that, “what one’s ClockWork?”.

Danny shrugs and rubs his neck, “the, uh, situation with us is a little, different”, straightening up, “they literally broke time and temporal laws for me. That’s kinda super serious. Though they did that because they like me and I impressed them. Some other things”.

Maddie and Jack decide against pressing him, since he didn’t exactly react well to Maddie questioning ClockWork’s motives before. Instead Maddie asks, “okay, but generally, why would a ghost do this? It just- I guess it just doesn’t make sense to us, sweetie”.

Danny bites back muttering about how that’s because of their bigoted opinions on ghosts, thinking they’re unfeeling uncaring evil chaos-loving monsters. Though the chaos-loving part was true. Monster was debatable. “Because they want an apprentice, or heir, or are lonely, or just genuinely care. Though I guess it does benefit the adult ghost some”, shrugging, “makes both adult and child stronger. If the child accomplishes lots, it makes them look good, y’ know like it does with human parents”.

Maddie nods, “for power I can understand”, making Danny roll his eyes a little. Which really just confirms that he still thought they were overly anti-ghost.

“Yeah well, it’s not much so it would be stupid to become someone’s Guardian purely for power. Stupid”.

Jack scratches his head, ignoring the banging of Lewis and Tucker cleaning up, “couldn't they just drop the... child ghost?”.

Maddie nods at him before looking back to Danny, “like with human adoption?”.

Danny shakes his head immediately, “nope. A bond thing kinda forms that lasts as long as they both exist; whether the child ‘grows up’ or not”.

Both parents blink, Jack mouthing ‘wow’. Maddie bites her lip, “so you are... bound to ClockWork?”, she’s not sure what to do with this information.

Danny gives an awkward nod, he gets that there’s really no way for that not to bother them, “yeah”, tapping his chest brace over his Core, “my Core recognises them as Guardian and reacts, um, accordingly”.

Jack and Maddie share a Look, and Lewis glances over pointedly curious. Maddie’s the one to speak though, “and what’s ‘accordingly’?”.

Tucker snickers and speaks almost meanly, leaning over at Danny, “like a little kid”, snickering more, “Sam has a few embarrassing photos”.

Lewis looks to him, “I’m curious”.

Danny turns to point at him, “no, bad doctor”, and subtly flicks snow from his tail at the guy’s legs.

Lewis rolls his eyes, “can’t be any worse than Vee covered in marshmallows eating chicken with a coffee mug on their head. Or literally any photo of a heavily drunk Eddie; the most recent featuring him trying to eat a tv and covered in party hats”. Tucker wheezes, Danny and Jack joining in after a beat.

Jack glances at the oven and back to Maddie, “cookies?”. Making her sigh and nod. Lewis shrugging and literally undoes all his cleaning to get ingredients and supplies.

Jack grins at the cookie sheets before looking back to Danny, “so you act like a child around ClockWork, eh?”. Danny just blushes and looks around anywhere but his dad at that; which just makes him laugh heartily.

Jack grins widely to himself, he’d kinda like to see that. Danny-boy had been a darn cute, goofy, and dramatic kid. That did explain all the banging his head on the table dramatics yesterday, or this morning technically. And the tail coiling was kinda like a kid grabbing at their parents' hands. Well shit, that’s adorable and makes him grin like an idiot a little. Little Danny did used to get mesmerised by Jack’s hands, mostly ‘cause of size difference though! And there was that pouting act he did! Maybe more genuine childish pout? Less mischievous drama? Jack’s attention getting grabbed by Lewis pulling out the brownies, “wait, is there fudge in those!”, and practically going to pounce on them.

Maddie shoos Jack off, “wait a little, dear. How about you and Danny wait in the living room till the cookies are at least in the oven?”. Jack groans but nods. Maddie speaking to Danny before Jack has a chance to drag him off, “one thing I still don’t get though? Core and everything else or not, you’re still human”.

Danny shrugs, “it’s like you said before I came in -yes I heard that- I’m ghost enough to ghosts. ‘One of them’”. Maddie nods acceptingly, though she doubts someone who would defy time would care about something like species.

Jack immediately drags Danny off to the living room as soon as his wife looks satisfied, because he knows she won’t put in the cookies until he leaves. Gotta love a tricky lady. Though a third the joy in baked cookies was how damn good she looked in her frilly apron.

Danny elects to just float around lazily a bit, it was still kinda surreal floating around his parents. His dad chuckling, “it’s like you were born with It”.

Danny stilling and shrugging, “well, uh, thinking of it, ClockWork might have something to do with that. All they’ve got is tail”.

Jack chuckles and nods a little, made sense. What with the bond influence thing. Which, yeah, still not that cool with but Danny seem cool with it; so he’s kinda cool with it too. ClockWork did seem nice! For a ghost at least. Mads would take a bit more, but Danny-boy’s not a little kid so surely he understands! Though thinking of her and that, this whole ClockWork situation wasn’t all she was fretting over... “so Danny?”.

Danny pauses in the air, “why do I feel like this is more heavy stuff?”.

Jack gives an apologetic shrug, “sorry?”, Danny just waves him off so he asks away, “so Maddie had been wondering to me about more than ClockWork”.

Danny makes a point to not seem nervous, “oh?”.

Jack nods, “yeah. She was thinking that maybe you had an Obsession. You know, like a ghostly one. She wasn't sure ‘bout asking, if you’d be cool with that. Since we’ve always talked about those being unpleasant”, chuckling and rubbing his neck, “not that there’s anything wrong with that!”, moving to sit down on the couch, “though they don’t exactly seem positive. But! I’m sure you could make things work for you! Right?”, rubbing his neck again, “Dan thinks they’re like a hobby! So maybe you like it- or would like it! If you had or have one that is”, giving another weak chuckle, “though we’ve always thought of them as controlling and inclined towards bad behaviours. Violent”, waving his hands pacifyingly, “not that you’re ever violent or bad!”, muttering to the side, “other than ditching class and shirking chores anyway”, looking back to Danny, “so if you do or did, then it totally can’t be violent, so we must be at least somewhat wrong about that! We’re definitely learning a lot from you”, waving his hands again, “not that that’s why we ask or want to know!”.

Danny interrupts, floating to sit down himself. It was weird when his dad was the one needing comforting, he didn’t like it, “dad, you’re rambling, I know”, shrugging, “sure you’re curious for curiosities sake, and it being ghost-related of course. But I know it’s more because you want to know me, that I'm your son. Family”. Jack just nods and rubs his neck awkwardly, so Danny continues after adjusting a little; trying to not be weird about this, and running his hands over part of his tail, “as for the, er, Obsession, thing-”.

Jack pats him on the back gently and cuts in, “you don’t have to tell me, tell us, if you’d rather not”. He hopes his boy doesn’t take the out though, he’s curious! And they didn’t fully understand Obsessions beyond them being called ‘Obsession’ for a reason, was related to their death, and largely what kept them around; blocked them from moving on. What ghosts Obsessed about was important them, so if Danny had one then it’s got to be important to him! And he definitely wants to know the things important to his boy! But Danny was clearly a bit defensive of all these things he’s been hiding, the ghostly things and definitely ClockWork; boy could be scary if he wanted to be! And also the Core, he has a feeling Danny didn’t just recently find out about that. And Obsessions could, and have been, used to a hunters' advantage. To trap or discourage or harm. he’s never even heard of a ghost being open about their Obsession! Even if it was obvious! Like with that Box Ghost. And ClockWork’s was probably time-related; or just was time as a whole! So it would totally make sense for him to what to hide his, if he has one.

Danny blinks, well honesty has worked for him with all this so far. But he never would have willing outed his Core to them. Parents or not, they were still ghost hunters. And even if they weren't, well Lewis only knew because he saw It. And Lewis had caught him off guard when he told him about his Obsession and was being kinda like him. Asking what he had to for someone else’s health and safety. Oh, and the drugs; that was definitely a factor. Now his folks? The only reason they had was curiosity and maybe some misplaced worry/fear over the idea of him having one. And his Obsession was absolutely one that could be taken advantage of. Lewis and his ‘it would be helpful’ shit made that painfully obvious. And him giving him an Obsessive Crisis, while an accident, had still been partly caused by Lewis knowing. So no, not happening. And his dad would just ask questions on top of questions, likely becoming completely oblivious to sensitivity. That was kinda his dad’s thing. And his mom, well she would wonder how he satisfied it; and that would lead to the big Phantom secret.

Danny rubs his neck, glancing at his tail swishing around and vibrating a bit, “I mean? Don’t worry about it?”.

Jack nods a little, that was as good as a ‘yes’. To both an Obsession and to not wanting to talk about it. He has no idea if this is cool or not. He should probably confirm though? No assuming. “So... yes?”, and making a point to give him a sheepish look over the tail giving a little snapping thrash; he had noticed Danny’s tail seemed to give away his emotions a little. Which actually did support the possibility that ghosts were actually more emotionally sensitive.

Danny looks around awkwardly and nods a little, “um, yeah. Do you, like, need to know the, er, ‘what’ though?”, and staring at his dad a bit challengingly. As if daring him to make up some bullshit reason. If his dad, the much more curious and knowledge-hungry one, can let this go then he guesses he can trust them a bit more. Can much more genuinely believe they care more about family, about him, than ghost hunting. He already knew they loved him more than they hated ghosts, them accepting his ghostly crap was proof enough of that. And they hadn’t, like, banned him from seeing ClockWork. Not that that would be possible.

Jack’s pretty sure some might find his sons staring a bit ‘creepy’ but he’s seen it a few times, usually aimed at his friends though... and Vladdie. Who, come to think of it, was pretty good at the unnerving stare himself! As for his boy's question? He definitely wants to know! but no way he needed to. Mads would probably worry it would make him misbehave or something, but Danny-boy said not to worry and he’s gonna trust his boy! “Naw. If you don’t want to then you don’t want to. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with that!”, chuckling and smiling, Danny exhaling and smiling back after a bit. While Jack continues, “so long as it’s not making you sick or unhappy, anyway. And I’d be totally down with helping you with it! or maybe you need help figuring something out with it! Or even just wanna talk about it! I’m sure your mom would be cool with that too!”.

Danny cringes a little, “uh, sorry but no. I’d really rather not. It’s, uh, personal. Private I guess”, shrugging a little stiffly, “kinda like how I, uh, don’t want my Core being poked at”, clearing his throat, “but it’s fine. I’m fine. I keep it satisfied and in check. And it’s not something bad or anything”, shrugging and tacking on, “most generally aren’t”, partly to get away from his Obsession specifically.

Jack blinks and mutters to himself, “so Dan was right...”, making Danny cringe again as Jack shakes his head and speaks up again but at Danny, “good then. Well my offer still stands, always will!”.

Danny nods, “um, thanks”, and gives his tail a little, hopefully subtle, pat to encourage It to chill out. He’s gonna have to ask ClockWork for tail tips.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Tucker nudges Maddie, “when it comes to CW, take Danny’s warning and just don’t question their motives towards him. You know better now so he’ll be less... nice next time”.

Maddie blinks, stilling her mixing, “should I be worried?”.

(Lewis is firmly staying out of this)

Tucker chuckles and rolls his eyes, “nope, it’s a bond thing”, shaking his head, “and ClockWork saved all of us, so questioning their motive is like questioning whether all of us deserve to live to him”.

Maddie whispers, “oh”, okay that was pretty serious. She knows how protective Danny can be, especially of friends and family, so Danny’s extreme reaction made much more sense now.

Tucker nods, washing out a bowl while Lewis spoons the cookies. Maddie sits against the table as Tucker continues, “yup. And ClockWork is just as defensive of Danny”, snickering, “did you know the government of the Zone put out a hit on him once”.

Maddie chokes, whisper yelling, “what???”. Lewis just steps to the side slightly, Danny’s friends are as addicted to chaos as Danny is; he’d like to not be in the splash zone currently, the peanut gallery’s pretty appealing though.

Tucker nods, “yup. ClockWork pretty much told them to get lost. And nobody says no to ClockWork”, tilting his head, “except Danny”.

Maddie shakes her head in utter disbelief, “they're that respected or powerful?”.

Tucker shakes his head and purses his lips a little, nodding at Lewis, “it’s not just simple little humans that look at them and think ‘god’, ClockWork’s the stuff of myths and legends to the spookies”, adding purely to cover his own ass, “according to Danny anyway”.

Maddie nods, that was a bit out there. Ghosts had their own myths? That also meant culture. Were ghosts actually... highly complex and sophisticated? shaking her head a little, she would have brushed this off days ago, and puts the cookies in the oven. Frowning slightly at overhearing Jack, was he asking Danny about Obsessions? She advised him against that! Apparently, Tucker thought the same. Him sounding slightly worried, “oh, uh, wonder if I should jump in? Obsession’s kinda touchy”.

Maddie blinks, looking to Tucker, wait what? “So he... he has that”.

Tucker makes a cringe showing all his teeth and even scrunching up his neck, “I’m guessing you didn’t know that”. Making Maddie sigh.

Lewis shakes his head and chuckles, again amazed Danny has held on to any of his secrets when none of them could even keep track of what they were lying about and what they weren’t; combined with talking about shit out loud.

Maddie checks the cookies, “well I’m glad you’re close and protective of each other. Though I wish we had been told about all of this”. Tucker elects not to respond to that.

A bit later Jack and Danny turn their heads at Maddie calling that the cookies are ready. Jack promptly jumping up and dashing to the doorway; eager for brownie and cookie alike. Looking back to Danny from the entryway, “you coming?”.

Danny smiles, “yeah. Yeah I am dad”, and flicking his tail before floating over.

Tucker effectively shovels food in his mouth, looks excited and excitedly smacks Lewis arms, “fugh mun”. Then finger-gunning at Danny, “weh, I shoe gwe giong”. Making Danny laugh and finger-gun back, “you just wanted me for my food. What? Do I only have half enough physical appeal for you?”.

“Yo oh ur zezz”. Danny just wheezes at Tucker’s wink.

Lewis walks up behind him, another coffee in hand, “did he just call you sexy?”.

Danny rolls his eyes and takes the second cup from him, “Lewis, doc man, Tucker thinks everyone’s sexy. All the time. Dead. Alive. Furry. Don't matter. Everybody’s sexy af”.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “furry?”.

“His sona’s an otter”.

“Well alright then, all the power to him”, and lifts his cup in a little salute.

Danny scowls slightly and points at him, “no matter how chill you are, I will always remember breaking your mind via duplication”. Lewis shakes his head with a little smile.

Jack walks up and ruffles his hair, “so Danny-boy? What should we call the ClockWork fellow? ‘Cause no offence, but ‘parent’ is taken”.

Danny chuckles slightly, “uh, dad? Guardian is the actual proper term”.

Lewis points up at him, seeing as he was floating slightly above their heads, “but ‘guardian’ is synonymous with ‘parent’ for us human beings”.

Jack chuckles, “so something else for the ghost guardian of our kid's ghostliness”. Making Danny tilt his head, “uh, I’m not even sure there is a word for that. But maybe... godparent? Sure you didn’t choose them, but?”.

Lewis snorts, “of course that’s the term you’d go with for a technical god who’s also technically a parent”.

Jack laughs, “true!”, patting Danny, “and they -like Vladdie!- aren’t actually related to you! so it would make sense!”.

Danny rubs his neck and floats slightly lower down, “uh”, and looking around awkwardly.

Lewis raises his eyebrows, a bit genuinely surprised because how???? “Oh really?”.

This gets Maddie over, “did I hear that right? Are you saying you are related? To a ghost that was never alive?”.

Danny gives an awkward shrug, “bond thing. I’ve got a little bit of them. They've got a little bit of me”.

Maddie and Jack exchange a major Look over that before looking back at him. Jack grins wide and smacking a fist into his hand, “well that settles it, that ghosts a Fenton”, tilting his head, “which is not something I thought I’d ever say”.

Danny’s grin is practically beaming, “well I’m happy to hear it”.

Maddie just grins and passes around the cookies.

It doesn’t take long before the parents' minds are firmly back on the ‘make Danny legs goddamnit’ train. Maddie eyeballs his swishing tail as Lewis has him doing (unnecessary)laps and what can really only be described as tricks. Maddie walks over, following her son with he eyes; it was almost weird how normal him floating around felt now, “so, up for installing the clock timer?”.

Danny pauses and shrugs, still a little too awkward about this to just float upside down and chat or something, “I mean? Sure?”. All three of them watching Jack practically launch himself at the lab door.

Maddie and Lewis watching Danny’s eyes widen a little, before he zips towards the door; absolutely beating Jack down.

The three adults getting down to the sight of Danny flipping over and inspecting the little device; Maddie’s not even going to bother wondering how he got that out of containment.

Danny absolutely knows there were little sparkles of green flecks in his eyes as he checks the trinket over, running over the curves and edges. Eventually lifting up his head and pursing his entire face as he hits a tiny trigger and the devices shoots out confetti everywhere.

Jack almost immediately begins laughing, “oh wow! They’re a jokester!”. Like Danny!

Maddie walks up and shakes her head at the mess, “well that was rather funny though messy”.

Danny chuckles, “well if you had tried to install this before I accidentally set off the little prank then the confetti would have probably fried things. So joke, but also test slash failsafe”.

Jack tilts his head, “but they see the future right? They already know our actions before we take them”.

Danny shakes his head, “no. They just see all the possible futures. Sure they can tell what’s most likely but that doesn’t mean much”, smirking, “and even they say I’m notorious for taking the less likely paths. They, uh, actually make bets on that”.

Lewis blinks, “you mean people bet against the guy that sees all the future?”, shaking his head, “how stupid do you have to be”.

Danny shrugs, “more like egotistical, they usually bet against other future seers, ClockWork’s got a better view than them though. So...”. Lewis shakes his head more.

Jack runs over snatching up the fully repaired CyberSteps, while Maddie holds her hand out to Danny. Danny glances from the (apparently dubbed)clock timer to Maddie, “okay. Just... careful”.

Maddie nods and takes it from him gingerly, “we will be, don’t worry”. Lewis walks over to look over her shoulder at the device before she takes it over to one of the tables to examine; leaving Lewis standing next to Danny.

Lewis watches the parents for a bit before looking to Danny, who of course is practically staring at them. Lewis knows they’re far enough away from the hunter couple to go unheard; even with sound travelling a lot down here. “So obviously I know ClockWork is immortal, but I remember you implying you were practically immortal yourself. Neigh indestructible, I believe”.

Danny glances to the guy, giving him ‘seriously?’ eyebrows, before looking back to his parents. Speaking quietly, “geez doc”, shaking his head a little, “ghosts are super hard to destroy in general. Halfas are just even harder”.

Lewis nods, “so Vlad too then".

Danny snorts, "he's weaker than me”.

“Yeah I think that’s obvious”, Danny was obviously stupid strong. This gets Danny to curl up a bit and laugh. While Lewis continues, “speaking of that one, just how dangerous is he?”, considering he might just have pissed him off. Lewis could do without more ghostly drop-ins.

Danny digs out his phone from his brace and flips through his photos while speaking, “he’s a nine. Lots of reasons for the lower level. Made by weaker and less ecto; contaminated ecto too. My age is a factor too and being exposed to ecto for, like, my whole life”. Glancing at him, “his real danger is he’s stupid smart and has enough cash to go nuts with”, chuckling, “like the cloning thing. That’s one way to get a kid at fourteen though”.

Lewis raises his eyebrows at that, again this kid’s life was ridiculous, “not sure that counts as ‘kid’”.

Danny smirks, “Vlad fucked up. We’re not identical, just closely genetically related”, chuckling, “she’s a little three-foot-tall twelve-year-old travelling nomad. In London right now I think”, tilts his head and shrugs.

Lewis shakes his head with a sigh, “congrats, just like Eddie you have a kid without getting anyone pregnant”., shrugging, “though Eddie’s is technically in the works”.

Danny laughs, “least Elle’s not natural”, holding his phone out to the guy, “here’s a pic of her kicking Vlad in the face”.

Lewis leans over, huh, someone would have to be blind to not notice the family resemblance. White hair, green eyes, black and white jumpsuit, DP symbol, stupid cheeky grin; a Phantom through and through. The other guy though, looks like a knockoff bramstrocker; the vampire jokes officially make sense. “Well alright, cute kid; I can practically smell trouble maker on her”, tapping his nail on the screen, “why’s Vlad look so different though?”.

Danny shrugs, “adult thing or something. Spookies change their appearance sometimes”.

Jack actually comments on that, “we’re honestly not sure at this point if they do that for aesthetic or it just happens because they got stronger!”. Maddie coming over as well, clock timer in hand. Danny’s more than a little pleased that it doesn’t look like they took it apart at all. Good.

Maddie holds it up, “I think I’m willing to trust this and it’s definitely compatible”, looking to Danny, “it’ll only work around the waist though and won’t function as a conductor”.

Jack nods and gestures with his hands a little wildly, “so we’ll just rip out the timer stuff from our conductor! And leave the conductor where it is!”, nodding curtly with a grin before pausing, “if that’s cool with you, of course”.

Danny smiles, “that’s fine, apparently I’m flexible enough to reach”, stretching to make a point, “even with the braces”.

Lewis grumbles, “just don’t break them”. Danny has cost the hospital a lot of money at this point. Sure medicine wise and room wise he saved them money, but all the braces, having to recast his arm, the extremely expensive wheelchair that he can’t believe Mrs. Levi actually signed off on (sure all he had to do was show the insanely high and unusual injures Amity Parker’s tended to get -especially minors- and she gave her approval immediately), the patient file bug Tucker made that the tech guy said he’d have nightmares over, and the fact that they got investigated by a very shady section of the government (that not-rain stuff almost forced the entire hospital into quarantine).

Jack beams and rushes off to the CyberSteps, dragging Maddie along with. Danny’s pretty sure the legs look more defined, more finished, than when he last saw them; or this was just a finished version since basically everything but the timer conductor was likely as perfect as it could be.

Danny makes damn sure his folks are preoccupied with the legs before looking back to Lewis, snatching his phone away since the guy started flipping through his photos, “seriously doc? Rude”.

Lewis just shrugs, “you’re the one who gave me your phone. Besides, you’re interesting and I’m curious. Nice castle. Doesn’t seem your style though”.

Danny huffs and rolls his eyes, “excuse me for thinking you, a doctor married to a lawyer, had some manners”, crossing his arms and muttering down at them, “sure I would’ve done the same but still”, looking back to Lewis, “and I didn't design that, Pariah did. I’ll change it when I take the throne”, shrugging, “it’s an automatic thing. Lairs are weird like that. Ecto-construct and all that”.

Lewis nods, yeah lairs bent to the need, personality, and somewhat the will of its ghost; if he’s remembering that correctly. Smirking a little, “let me guess, it’ll reholposter itself black n’ white?”.

Danny smirks right back, “what can I say? I know my colours and I wear them proud. The white of life and the black of death”.

Lewis shakes his head and leans against the wall, “speaking of castles and thrones, still can’t say I understand how a crown and ring could make someone able to absorb and feed an entire dimension. And if you’re the sorta will of Zone then could you modify it like a lair? And what about the Zone needing a king eventually? Is that a sooner or later kind of thing?”, tilting his head, “and with that, if you got destroyed would the universe eventually just die?”.

Danny gives him a truly pained look, “you wrote this shit down, didn't you”, scowling at the doctor's small nod. Danny side-eyes his parents to make sure they’re still absorbed in their work, before answering, “alright, it works like this: the ring has a negative glow so it can pass as a regular ring, because it -unlike other ecto things- strictly absorbs ectoplasm instead of shedding ectoplasm. While the crown is the opposite, it only sheds and doesn’t absorb; hence why it practically blazes off ectoplasm. The ring absorbs the Zone’s ectoplasm, the Crown sheds off the wears ectoplasm plus whatever they absorbed in from the Zone. Kinda like the wearers a heart and the ring and crown are valves”.

Lewis smirks approvingly, “that’s a very doctorly comparison of you”.

Danny snorts, “it works and you’re a doctor. Anyway. Yeah having that much energy following through a little tiny body’s a lot but-”, shrugging, “-like I’ve said, I’m used to dealing with things that are a lot. And my consciousness, sorta, would be carried though all that ecto. So I’d pretty much have an awareness of the whole Zone and every ghost. Which yes, means I could modify it like a lair. Not quite the same though. The Zone would be part of me yeah, part of my ectoplasm and what my folks seemed to have called my ecto-circulatory system; but the Zone wouldn’t be my lair, just an extension of my being. And I can’t just modify my body willy nilly”, tilting his head, “well it’s base state anyway”. Danny forms an eye on his hair to wink at the guy just for emphasis.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, at least he was pretty immune to body horror shit, “so you’re effectively a battery, heart, and food for the Zone, but also are -will be- literally the Zone. You’re gonna be a dimension”.

Danny actually laughs a little into his hand at that, giving Lewis a little shoulder pat with his tail, “that’s a great way to put it!”, shaking his head with a smile, “yeah I’ve got a crazy future existence. And for that one question, it’s a long time in the future. The Zone’s probably good to run off the stockpile of Pariah for a few hundred more years. Well, unless something happens anyway”. Which, with his luck, was probable. Heck, he’s pretty sure Sam and Tucker have a bet going on whether or not it’ll happen before or after they graduate, before or after his parents eventually... pass away, or before or after they do. Shaking his head and firmly pushing away thoughts of anyone dying, “and no man, currently my destruction won’t end the universe. The Zone will latch on to someone else... eventually. Now if I was king, that would be an issue since the Zone would decay right”, chuckling, “though in that case the throne would just be passed down to Elle”.

Lewis blinks, “oh, so it’s tied to your lineage? Instead of exclusive to you”.

“Yup, the typical royalty shtick”, tapping his chin, “though I think Sam and Tuck are classed as my brethren so they might kinda have a level of claim too. Dora, FrostBite, and Pandora are sorta family too. But they’re all complicated. And course, if I married then whoever would have their own claim”, and shrugs, “I wouldn’t put it past Vlad to try and wiggle his way in too”.

Lewis sighs, “nothing is ever simple with you is it? And you have more ghost family? Really?”.

Danny shrugs awkwardly at that, “kinda? It’s weird man and not to the level of Clocky. Not even close”, grinning a little, “Dora sees me as the good protective older brother she never got to have. Pandora sees me as like a nephew or sorta godchild, ever since I got her box back. FrostBite’s kinda a mentor in all things icy, kinda worships me as some kind of chosen one, and they’re my doctor too sometimes”.

Lewis blinks at that, “wait, you have a specialised doctor? Then why the Hell don’t you use them”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “of course that’s the part you care about mr. Doctor man. I can handle my own shit and I do go to him for serious shit I can’t just handle myself”. Making Lewis sigh and shake his head, completely unimpressed. The boy had access to medical care and just... didn’t use it. Thinking of the whole setting Danny’s arm after he literally crashed though the car. Or at least he didn’t take advantage of medical care unless it was literally within arms reach.

Maddie picks that moment to bolt over with a grin on her face, grabbing at Danny’s hand; Jack in the background looks to be throwing his fist up in a cheer.

Danny rolls his eyes with a smile and lets her drag him off; Lewis studiously following after. Lewis seriously hoping this time doesn’t result in yet another negative reaction.

Danny looks over the CyberSteps, floating around them quickly. Putting his hands on the waist and peering down, tapping the off-centre clock timer with his tail tip, “looks good”. The very tip coiling around one of the clock hands a little, he likes it; it kinda felt like ClockWork. Pointedly ignoring Lewis’s slight chuckle. Jerk.

Maddie and Jack both watch tensely but ridiculously excited all the while, as Danny grips the waist and slips his tail in, hopefully having to test out the ‘legs’ for the last time.

Danny glances over his shoulder brace as he activates the neuroreceptor strip, watching it all snap on over the back brace; which Lewis is probably still unimpressed about. Then tilting his head, the draining felt practically the same as before; and it didn’t seem to be making his ecto freak. So that’s a check on the conductor. Looking down at the legs and quirking an eyebrow at the little clock timers clock hands spinning around. His mom obviously noticing, “I’m pretty sure that’s what it does when it’s calibrating, sweetie”. Which Danny nods at and decides to wait, going to try moving the legs once the clock hands chill out. And the toes/boot tips successfully bend upwards.

And with that, one Danny Fenton was no longer legless on main

FIN.

JK JK JK

Lewis watches as Danny wiggles the toes and bounces up on said toes some, before actually taking a few steps around. The movements were definitely a little jerky and he wasn’t moving them quite right, it was very much like he was trying out limbs he hadn’t had before. If Lewis were to guess, he’d say that’s likely because these robotic leg prosthetics didn’t work exactly the same as natural legs; so logically he’d have to learn how to pilot them properly. Watching Jack and Maddie stand in-front of him and all three pretty well beaming at each other; Jack even doing a little jig or something (whatever it is, Danny clearly finds it embarrassing). It was obvious Danny was proud of what his folks made, even if he didn’t honestly need it. Frankly he’s pretty sure Danny’s proud of the things his parents make in general, he just hadn’t liked the anti-ghost foundation they were built upon. Sure seemed they had gotten better about that though. Which is good, since the universe -somewhat technically- depended on that.

Lewis nods once and walks closer -having given the family their little moment- and pats Danny’s arm brace, “well looks like you can walk upon this earth again. Though maybe practice”, pausing for a beat before adding, “no kicking people”.

Danny blinks at Lewis, “no kidding doc. Literal steel toes here”.

Lewis chuckles and gives his two (adult)friends pats, “congrats, you just made a breakthrough in probably a lot of fields, but most relevant to me, medical science. You’re officially scary smart. But-”, turning to Danny because the kid’s supposed to be injured and recovering. Gesturing at the neuroreceptor strip, “you. While this is great and all, you had back surgery. So I’m restricting use till your braces are good to come off and I check your spine out”. Honestly, he should outright ban it.

Danny sticks his hands to the side and pouts a little, “oh come on doc”.

Lewis crosses his arms, “most doctors wouldn’t have even let you test them or wear them at all”. Danny rubs his neck at that.

Maddie gives Lewis a sweet smile, “well thanks for letting us do this and I think we all understand”, looking to Danny, “right Danny?”. Danny grumbles incoherently but nods.

Jack taps at his chin, watching Danny walk around a bit more, “what I don’t get, is how you moved the ones that didn’t work at all smoothly but these ones are being a bit jerky or over-exaggerated? Even if you originally weren’t working them even close to smooth with the tail”.

Danny shrugs, “uh, well I’ve never had brain to mechanics connections like this before. My brain and ecto might just, like I don’t know, learn how these interpret stuff?”.

Lewis nods immediately because that was actually true really for learning how to work any prosthetic, “there’s a learning curve with any prosthetic, they never move the exact same as the originals”, tilting his head, “and if what you’re thinking of Danny’s ghost being somewhat active is right, then the tail wouldn’t be truly new; simply normally inaccessible. Which you’ve effectively already implied to be the case to explain his ease of adapting. So his fine motor skills with his tail should be quite good, which would allow for it to take very little time for him to figure out how to grasp or say, move things, with said tail”, and nods curtly to himself. Pretty content with his explanation.

Danny decidedly says nothing though Lewis just gave him a pretty damn good out. His parents' nods and smiles make that obvious.

Jack goes wide-eyed, coming upon an idea and blurting out, “ClockWork!”, then looking at his slightly confused looking son, “you said that ClockWork only has a tail! And that you’re basically related! Ghostly related!”. Everyone gives him slightly confused eyebrow quirks, so he explains himself, “so maybe your ghost took after them and just has a tail too!”.

Maddie blinks and grins, “that does make sense”, ruffling Danny’s hair, “so that explains that“. Danny just shrugs, ‘cause in their mind, there’s no way he should know what his ghost looks like. But also, yeah, him being so comfortable and good with this was totally ClockWork’s fault. And he totally loves them for it. Intentionally swishing his tail around in the legs, kinda weird that he could move his tail without moving his legs. How in the heck is his brain -or ectoplasm maybe, Core?- differentiating between tail and legs? He’s totally going to fidget with his tail during class. No one will ever know! “Well still too bad my walking skills have gotten a bit rusty”.

Lewis glances at his watch, pretty late; it would probably be the ‘responsible’ thing to encourage a normal -or as normal as possible for a teenage superhero whose enemies seem to prefer the night- sleep schedule.  “Alright, I know you probably want to celebrate all this but at the very least Danny should reestablish a proper sleep schedule. Sleep is vital for healing and health after all”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “all doctor, all the time, huh?”.

“Says mr. Helpful”. Danny scowls at that, because not the same. Not the fucking same. Though if the doc became a ghost his Obsession would probably be the same but maybe more curious ‘I wonder what will happen if’.

Danny looks around, “well first, can’t we at least have supper?”. Jack’s stomach growls as if being summoned, making everyone laugh.

While Maddie gets to work making food, Jack and Lewis basically talk each other’s ears off with how the legs even worked at all; ‘cause Lewis is just stunned but intrigued and Jack is utterly excited. Danny sneaks up the stairs, totally unused to how damn loud these feet were; he’s gonna have to work on that because he loves how easily he can even accidentally sneak up silently on people.

Danny stops in front of Jazz’s door and promptly kicks it in; the door simply opening loudly instead of being blown off its hinges purely because all the doors in the house were built to handle getting rammed and blasted.

“Zone! Danny! Why in the Zone are you kicking in doors!”. Jazz pauses, “wait, you kicked it in”, looking to his legs and leaping up, “holy shit Danny! You’ve got legs!”, rushing over and pinching the CyberSteps, “can you actually feel this?!?!”.

Danny grins stupidly, puts his hands on his hips, and poses ridiculously, “yup, totally can”, tilting his head, “not quite the same though”.

Jazz practically jumps on him and hugs him around the neck, “oh who cares! This is great Danny!”, letting go and brushing off his braces, “I bet mom and dad were just stoked”.

Danny nods almost sheepishly, “oh definitely”, cringing a little, “dad did a jig”, making her cringe as he continues, “Lewis also crushed their spirits a little by limiting my leg time. Though we are still baking eggies to celebrate my leggies”, and grins.

Jazz sighs with a head shake, “I was wondering if they forgot about supper again”.

“Oh they did”.

Jazz blinks, “of course they did”.

Lewis walks in, arms crossed and judgmental eyebrow raised, “there you are. You do realise I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on the kid who broke basically everything, should have died, is in braces and bandages, and is now trying out brand new experimental prosthetics that interact with his brain and the spine he broke”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “geez tell me what you really mean”.

Jazz pokes Danny, “he does have a point you know. You are supposed to be injured”. Danny scowls at her but rounds on Lewis, sticking his arms out to the side, “so when can I obliterate these things”.

“Never. They’re hospital property. Casts can’t be reused, braces can”.

Jazz immediately cringes at that, Danny’s the one to speak though, “you don’t want to do that. I bet you ten bucks these are all ecto-contaminated. And I doubt you want them coming to life, or death really, and trying to eat someone’s arm or something”.

Lewis blinks, “alright, you can destroy them”, that would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. A very strange lawsuit. ‘My arm brace came to life and ate my firstborn’, would certainly be a new one.

Danny grins wickedly and promptly bursts into blue flames, actually managing to make Lewis jump back and Jazz yelp.

Lewis watches the ashes of the braces flutter to the ground, before giving (the no longer on fire)Danny an exasperated look, “I didn’t mean now”, squinting, “and how did you not burn the CyberSteps?”.

Danny creates a flame over his fingers, “ecto-fire”, pointing the other hand at the CyberSteps, “anti-ecto”, then adding, “only a little though, otherwise it would be anti-me”.

Lewis shakes his head, “can’t have that now can we?”. Danny grins and points out the door, promptly walking off at Lewis saying, “so long as an adult who knows your ecto or tech is around you”.

Lewis looks to Jazz, “he certainly seems better for his ghostliness, doesn’t he”.

Jazz smiles soft and sweet, “I used to worry about him, even got the vice principal to force him to see a therapist. But once I found out, it made sense and I knew he was okay. That not only was he good mentally, or as good as he could be, but also just good as a person”, giggling a little, “now of course I still worry, that’s what sisters do after all. But he’s a day at a time mentally, there isn’t exactly a standard for a halfa, for being mentally two species that are really opposites; and Vlad’s not exactly a good example. He needs a therapist more than Danny does”.

Lewis chuckles at that and nods, “can’t say I disagree. Though I wouldn't say Danny particularly comes off as someone who needs therapy, he hides his traumas well. Which, well, hiding things from a therapist equals not getting effective therapy”.

Jazz gives him a smile that practically reads ‘you misunderstand’, “that’s because he’s at the stage of acceptance now”, Lewis quirks an eyebrow so she explains, “people grieve when someone dies, and I believe the dead grieve their death just as much if not more”, nodding a little to herself, “at first he tried to convince himself nothing had changed, the abilities would just wear off; he even went through an ‘I’m not dead!’ phase, that came later though”.

Lewis tips his head, “well to be fair, most people don’t expect to be dead but still walking around, and half-dead just sounds impossible. So thinking he’s not dead seems more like being logical than being in denial”.

Jass gives him an almost pitying look, “yeah but he was apparently pretty desperate and freaked about it. Less simple logic and having an issue with the impossible, more desperation to deny what they know is true”.

Lewis nods, ah okay Danny definitely had a harder time than he had thought. He’s kinda glad he didn’t meet Danny back then because again, he’s not good at dealing with freaking out breaking down emotional types.

Jazz nods and keeps going, “Sam and Tucker said they effectively had to convince him not to just tell his parents and beg them to fix him once he realised things weren’t going away. He hated the powers, the changes; that’s the point when I noticed something was up, that he seemed depressed. I pushed for the therapy when he started being just angry, all the time”.

Lewis nods, “ah, I guess that does sound like grieving. In that case, I’m glad he’s in the acceptance stage”.

Jazz grins, she certainly was, “same. His Obsession, his friends -especially the ghost ones-, the weird love/hate thing the town has for him; I think all that helped. Which is how I imagine it is typically for most ghosts; minus the last one”, pointing at him, “though I think you've helped with acceptance, he seems less affected by your name, and those blue flames he used there?”, grinning wider, “many times he’s refused to ever use that, so somethings happened there”.

Lewis blinks, ah the pyrokinesis was probably a power ‘Dan’ had and used liberally. “I may have effectively reasoned with his Obsession why he shouldn’t fear certain futures and that it would make him a shittier king. Used ClockWork too, or more so a quote Danny made of them”.

Jazz raises her eyebrows, “you must think pretty differently for that to have worked out”, frowning slightly, “I’d watch it, taking advantage of his Obsession too often will start coming off as malicious to the Obsession”.

Lewis shrugs, yeah he kinda figured that one. Like tempting Vee with chocolate. Eventually you’ll lose a few fingers. Literally. “I’m not one for social queues, living or dead ones. And he’d make a good surgeon, very helpful. And telling me things is helpful. And sure, I may have given him an Obsessive Crisis but my reasoning was sound”.

Jazz blinks, walks over, and smacks him over the head, “how has Danny not assaulted you yet?!?”.

Lewis takes it in stride, he had been smacked a great many times for insensitivity, and smirks, “might be that my whole career is helpful, I’m a helper all the same. Protecting people from the outcomes of their stupidity like shoving a cheese grater up their ass or eating nails”.

Jazz goes a little wide-eyed, “that actually makes sense. Obsession similarity is a major comradery thing for ghosts”, pausing, “also, is that really a common thing people do? Though the nails probably had something to do with pica”.

“We keep a white board of all the things people have shoved up their asses, one guy’s made it on the board multiple times; I admire the tenacity”, Lewis smirks as she gives him a strange look and just moves to head downstairs.

They come down to a slightly concerned-looking Danny sitting backwards on the couch but resting his chin over the back of the couch, watching his parents. Looking to Lewis when he notices them and making ‘psst’ noises at him; which makes Lewis wonder if he’s being hissed at for a bit, which considering the upstairs conversation would make some sense.

Jazz heads into the kitchen while Lewis walks over to Danny.

Danny scuttles over and hiss whispers, “so I wasn’t sure if me actually being braceless was, like, a good thing? ‘Cause, like, maybe you know otherwise and I, like an idiot, didn’t confirm things-”.

Lewis chooses to cut off what’s definitely going to be a ramble, “it’s fine, Danny. Honesty, I was considering removing them entirely pretty soon here. You’re fine”.

Danny grins and gives a little relieved sigh, before looking slightly freaked again and gesturing to his chest, his bare heavily scared toned chest, “also totally forgot about the bandaging. I mean what am I, a wire stripper?”.

Lewis is pretty sure most people would find how he goes from flesh straight to metal more eye-catching than the scarring; even if it was pretty major. Danny’s likely more worried about Jack and Maddie seeing though. And well, Danny being completely healed was very obvious this way. Which might be pushing it, “yeah, you look too healthy like this”.

Danny blinks, “I wasn’t actually thinking of that but point”. Lewis gestures up the stairs, so they head up to Danny’s (still uncleaned)room to redo bandaging.

Lewis shakes his head while unrolling bandaging, “you’d think you’d be encouraged to clean after your encounter”. Danny rolls his eyes and holds out his arms after disconnecting the CyberSteps. Lewis pauses and taps his chin, thinking of it, “actually, let’s just bandage where you had the most serious damage”.

So Lewis gets to work on the waist wrapping, again noting how strange Danny coming to a totally smooth flat end is. He’s going to have to pin the blame on Danny’s tail if his friends ask, because this is not only not medical standard but medically impossible. Not to mention physically impossible, so many half cut off organs and where the heck are his intestines? His poor digestive system; and that’s ignoring his lower excretory system being basically non-existent. He’d lose his license if he took credit here. Muttering mostly to himself, “how the Hell do you shit”.

Danny blinks before bursting out laughing, “did you seriously just ask that?!?!?”, shaking his head, “doc? Anyone ever tell you you’re weird?”.

Lewis smirks, “all the time”.

Danny smirks himself, “ghosts ‘excrete’ everything via shedding off ectoplasm, so what do you think”, and points at his tail, which is currently waving intangibly through Lewis. Danny, for kicks, makes It shed more noticeably; just to fuck with the guy a little.

Lewis pauses and side-eyes the tail, “is that... sanitary?”. Making Danny fall backwards on the bed cackling. Lewis has so many questions. Does his ectoplasm just burn it up? and it comes off kinda like smoke? Or does his ectoplasm digest it for fuel? Danny did imply he could get by on just ectoplasm (which a human can’t do) or just food (which a ghost can’t do).

Danny puts an arm over his eyes and wheezes, “nothing can survive the ecto, oh man. Haha. Does a better job than bleach”, and wheezes some more.

Lewis nods, moving to Danny’s chest -because honestly, what in there hadn’t been obliterated. Other than the Core and even that was hurt- and unrolling more, “well that’s good then”. Making quick work of the chest and grabbing Danny’s left hand up.

Danny chuckles, “yeah, I crushed, like, everything in that one”.

Lewis starts wrapping very quickly at the sound of an explosion outside and icy mist leaving Danny’s mouth. Ghosts and their timing. Managing to finish before Danny transforms and zips off through his window; leaving Lewis to stand up, put his hands on his hips, and shake his head.

Danny glances around, pretty sure he can smell something really strange that he’s never smelled before but ignores that at promptly spotting Red shooting at Boxy, Danny floats over, “I’m guessing you don’t really need or want my help here?”.

Red opens her visor purely to scowl at him and shoots the Box Ghost without even looking, “fuck off, Phantom”.

“YOUR DISTRACTION WILL BE YOUR DOOM!!!! AND MY BOXY REVENG-”. Getting cut off via a rocket to the mouth and both teens telling him to shut up. Red promptly capturing him and rounding on Danny.

Danny quirks an eyebrow because her just cutting off a Boxy beat down was weird. Red snaps at him, “obviously you've noticed shit’s up with the Fenton’s, so you better be leaving them alone, spook”.

Danny nods a little, “kinda easy to notice when those two are or aren’t out hunting”, continuing at it feeling like she’s squinting at him, “I ain’t pestering them, Red”. It’s true. Phantom wasn’t technically pestering his parents. Fenton was.

Red studies him for a bit before nodding and appears to sigh, “well the sons got a ghost tail now, like you guys”, Danny changes his legs to a tail for example, which she points at, “yeah, that. And you’re not too terribly evil and he slammed his face into a wall trying to use the thing”.

Danny gives a mock very offended, “hey”. Before blinking and going slightly wide-eyed at a realisation, “wait, are you asking me to teach him?”, how does he get himself into this kind of shit?

Red huffs, “you're supposed to be this town’s ‘protector’ and dealer with ghost shit, it’s supposedly your job”, then adding with bite and meaning, “unless you don’t actually care about people and just like fighting”, shrugging, “and even you wouldn’t be stupid or reckless enough to mess with the youngest child of ghost hunters”. Any ghost that did mess with Jazz or Danny probably saw Hell from the Fenton’s. And Phantom might be literally the only ghost Danny wouldn’t run away from. Maybe. And wasn’t there that time the house came to life or something and Danny and Phantom both helped with that?

Danny blinks, “yeah, I’m not stupid. Still remember Jack punching -yeah, punching, not shooting- Plasmius to a pulp for screwing with the Fenton family”. That was one of Danny’s favourite memories.

Red blinks, opening her visor again and just leaving it that way, “that really happened? Damn”, she’s never felt genuinely impressed by Jack before.

Danny nods, “yup, and Red? Our bodies, the floating, that shit comes naturally. It’s not taught”.

Red snaps, “but he’s not a ghost, Phantom”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “ghost body part. Same thing. And our bodies ain’t all the same you know”.

Red points at his tail, “well his and yours move similar, so there”.

Danny pointedly doesn’t look sheepish or anything at that, he should just agree -fuck his luck- before she starts pointing out other similarities, “geez fine”, pausing and floating a bit closer, “wait, you haven’t been just asking every ghost you see to play teacher, have you?”, for the love of the Ancients say no.

Red scowls at him and refuses to back up, “I’m not a moron either, Phantom. Just you”, squinting, “why?”.

Danny backs off a little and shrugs, “ghost social thing. It’s a few phrases shy of asking a ghost to adopt someone. Which would be kinda mean”, tilting his head, “if you asked Skulker that, you probably would never see Danny again”, if Danny Fenton was a regular human (with a ghost tail somehow) and couldn’t beat Skulker’s face in, anyways.

Red blinks, “what? You’re not ‘adopting’ him“.

Danny rolls his eyes, “well obviously. What you asked could just be taken that way. But I’m still a child so it don’t matter”.

Red shakes her head, “you ghosts are strange. Don’t adopt Danny, just give him tail tips or something”.

Danny snorts and chuckles, “just the tip?”, and pokes her board with his tail tip quickly before zipping away cackling. Red growls and shoots at him while shouting, “you disgust me!”.

Lewis had eventually wandered down into the kitchen, everyone raising the eyebrows at him, probably over Danny’s absence, “decided to take the chance to check up on Danny’s healing and wrapping. He’s stretching out his new bandaging and taking a break from the prosthetics”, nodding curtly, “the braces aren’t really needed anymore”. Jazz giggles quietly.

Maddie and Jack beam, Jack practically cheering, “awesome!”. Both of them super glad to hear that he genuinely as okay as he keeps insisting he is. His ecto likely being to blame, which is okay.

Just then Danny comes back, sticking his head through the kitchen doorway before pausing, “shit! Forgot my shirt”, and ducks his head before zipping back upstairs. Shouting down at everyone laughing or giggling or snorting, “its been a while since I’ve worn clothes alright! I’ve got hardware and software, but no underwear!”.

Lewis actually laughs at that, “pretty sure that’s one thing you don’t need!”, and speaks up again as Danny renters, “you know, a stripper that crushed both her knees said that to me once”. Making pretty much everyone choke.

Maddie steamrolls right over the adult implications of that and plates the eggs. Lewis raising an eyebrow, “eggs for supper? That’s weird”.

Danny coughs and gives Lewis an ‘I can’t believe you just said that’ look and promptly takes the opening, “that's not weird, your pants are weird”.

Lewis looks down, “they’re just sweat pants”, then pauses, wait that sounded familiar. Looking back up and shaking his head, “you really just quoted a commercial for eggs at me”.

Danny grins like he’s the cat that caught the canary, “you started it, doc”.

Maddie grins, digging into her food. Danny seemed more confident. She’s not sure if Lewis just had that effect on him or if it was because of him not utterly hiding his ghostliness around them anymore and them giving the good ghosts thing a real chance. Which made her think it’s all worth it. Trusting a ghost or too, being more neutral about ghosts, rethinking the science; and getting her son back more genuinely, knowing him better, was a great deal. Even if that meant her and Jack had practically been villains to Phantom and other maybe good ghosts; which was an uncomfortable thought. Because really? if ghosts could be good then Phantom being a hero was practically undeniable. And who shoots at a hero? Villains.

Seeing Danny in a loose long sleeve makes her unable to really feel bad though, he looked genuinely like himself again. His hand being bandaged up was a reminder of his injuries however; and she can see a bit peaking out of his collar. Glancing at his other hand, when had he gotten scars there? Though more importantly, how had she never noticed??? Or did his recent injuries scar over that fast. Both were a little concerning. Though she knows he’ll have scarring, Dan said as much.

Lewis’s phones goes off with a big fat ‘fuck you’ from Eddie for not saving any brownies and a pic of stew which was probably meant to be some kind of ‘well look what I made and you can’t have’. Lewis just sends back ‘who did the cooking? ‘Cause if it’s you Eddie, I think I’m good’ predictably getting swears in return. Lewis decides to take a photo of what he’s eating, answering Danny’s raised eyebrow, “Eddie made stew and is attempting to brag about that”.

“I hope there wasn’t any potatoes or baked beings”.

Jazz smacks him over the head while Lewis scrunches up his eyebrows, because that... that was actually something they would do. Getting a response from Vee reading ‘FRIED BABY BIRD NICE' didn’t help. Lewis shakes his head at Danny, muttering, “don’t give them ideas”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “well then I hope you don’t let Vee near your feet”, Lewis gives him some confused eyebrows so Danny smirks and continues very smugly, “they might want some men toes for their breath afterwards”. Lewis sighs. Jack and Maddie just look confused though.

While Danny finally wakes up the next morning, Maddie watches Lewis start breakfast. Jack is attempting to wake up himself with a cold shower. And Jazz has been up for a while sipping tea and reading in her room.

Danny stretches out a little, telekinetically dragging over the CyberSteps and slipping in; this was basically what he was going to be doing for however long in place of underwear. And fuck it, he’s not gonna bother with pants. Kinda pointless and he’s owning his metal. Might as well. Nabbing up his comfortable sweater, the one that never catches on bandaging. Twisting his upper body back and forth, didn’t seem like it would catch on the neuroreceptors either. Nice.

It was honestly still kinda strange walking again, using metal to do that was just a little bit weirder. Cool as shit too though.

Danny turns to the door at hearing a shout of: “IT’S NOT JUST US! YES!”. So he heads downstairs and thus walks into the sight of Lewis staring in confused curiosity at a pan he’s holding with three screaming grill-cheese sandwiches in it. One sprouts a little hand and tries to grab a fork, Lewis just bats it away like a misbehaving cat’s paw; a dirty look on his face all the while.

Danny walks in and looks down, “uh, congrats doc it’s a girl... I think”.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “you can tell?”.

Danny scowls, "no, I was making a fucking joke, doc".

Maddie puts her hands on her hips, "language Danny”. Catching Danny slightly off guard and making him blush, “oh um uh, sorry?”. Maddie just shakes her head.

Sam and Tucker barge in while Lewis lifts up the pan, “obviously this is inedible for us, but you?”. Danny gives him a serious ‘are you fucking me’ look.

Maddie immediately butts in, “why would-”, and cuts herself off, going wide-eyed. Looking to Danny, “actually, could you? Do you... want to try?”.

Jack practically bolts over, having just caught that, “oh that would be so cool! We wouldn’t have to scrap food so often!”.

Sam and Tucker come over grinning meanly at him. Tucker speaking up, “do it coward. Be a man”, Sam kicks him. Sam looks over the pan, unphased by the screaming and weird bubbling, but scowls at the cheese; or what once was cheese, “you already stole the poor cows milk, don’t insults them more by trashing it”.

Danny mutters at the floor, “I feel like I’m being ganged up on here”, though obviously not actually bothered. His mom makes him laugh though when she hands him a glass of ‘help you swallow it down’ milk. Danny takes it and looks to Sam with a smirk, “now I know you reject milk, but hopefully you’re not lack-toes-intolerant”.

The two teens look down at his feet, about to comment that he had those again, Tucker giving a little nod, “huh, no toes”.

Danny just chuckles, wiggles his ‘toes’, “hope you like roboots”, everyone sighs and the grill-cheeses scream a little more, which absolutely grabs Danny’s attention. Turning to the pan, “okay, now you are getting eaten. Feed my cyborgans”.

Sam mutters, “Ancients damnit, Danny”. While Danny grabs one of the sandwiches, smacks one of the other ones that tried to bite him, and cuts off the one he grabbed’s screaming by biting It with fake aggression.

Sam and Tucker both start laughing, while the adults all just kinda watch with bated breaths. Maddie’s pretty sure she can actually see him absorbing ectoplasm through his skin off the -what should they call It?- ecto-sandwich. Was certainly interesting that this was even technically safe for him. His Core would just eat all the ectoplasm before it could even possibly cause issues. And that ecto-immunity Jack considered him to have should mean all his human stuff can handle the ectoplasm; possibly even good for him. Feed his ghostly stuff, which probably only got anything from how contaminated the town and house were. Or maybe his Core could convert human food to ectoplasm, just like how food in general here could become ectoplasmic.

Jack sounds more than a little excited, “so! How’s it taste!?!”.

Danny rolls his eyes, slightly embarrassed, “spicy cream cheese”. Jack looking excitedly giddy just makes Danny genuinely blush, though a bit happy that he made him happy. And he was actually hungry so fuck it, he’s eating his sandwich; that much ecto making his eyes green be damned.

Maddie makes a point to not react to his eyes going green -like they had when his ectoplasm was overcharged she notes- as Danny finishes off the ecto-wich. Lewis laughs and just shoves the pan at him.

Danny grumbles, “anyone else would get burned you know”. Lewis just shrugs with a grin as he moves to make something else, but vegan suitable; which hopefully won’t come to life. Everyone else -except Sam who chooses to lean against the wall- sit around the table. Jack and Maddie making a point to ignore the oddness of Danny woofing down the other two plasumwiches -much better name- straight out of the pan; the cold of his skin contacting the pan making a little bit of steam. Lewis attempts to take a subtle photo but of course Danny notices, giving the most suspicious sounding, “what's up doc?”, Lewis thinks is even possible.

“Eddie will get a kick out of this. Thing’s cropped, curb your paranoia”. Danny’s only response is a huff. The response Lewis gets back from Eddie nearly makes him choke though: Vee’s face sandwiched between bread and Eddie biting it/them; Lewis isn’t going to ask why he’s not wearing a shirt, but is wearing a tacky necklace (and of course his brackets, but he never takes those off). Lewis decides screw it, Danny’s friends knew, were just as weird, and that chat thing Tucker set up was almost disturbingly secure -yet they still used codes like paranoid little fuckers, and they were at least kinda cool with aliens; so he tosses the photo into the group chat, with a password to view though ‘cause why not be paranoid too; though it’s an obvious one.

Tucker, not surprising the doctor in the least, is the first to check and chokes on his food.

PDAXpda: @everyone

PDAxpda: what

PDAxpda: pray tell

PDAxpda: the fuck is that

Tiethief: space monster

Tiethief: and reporter mouth

NightShade: you suck at names

NightShade: @DPain do yer job

Just a little later Danny checks his phone and wigs out. His hair fluffing up a little like some anime bullshit, the legs swinging around probably ‘cause his tail is wiggling or something a bunch, the ecto in his eyes making tiny little sparks; Jack and Maddie watching the reaction more so with awe and curiosity than unnerved worry.

DPain: hdieksnhrjsHHUDJjhhudikwdhjHhdnsjdkoajbdhuejzk

DPain: zhHhudjnshakbusfjkabjhUSJJNhdkakbsjbuijdh

DPain: TINY MURDER COBOOB IS BLOB

DPain: TINY MURDERY ALIEN BLOB

DPain: FUCK ME DADSY

DPain: anyway

DPain: cjsinsbdhaihujsmkfhdkajhdnfcjai

DPain: space mon fine

DPain: othera meat puppet

DPain: djiafdwih

DPain: best blob be nommed

PDAxpda: first look at murder goo

Lewis looks up at the ceiling as he pockets his phone before spooning out the stir fry. Less breakfasty, but more edible. Giving Sam Tucker’s veggies and throwing some real bacon bits into Tucker’s. Danny takes a small plate even though he ate three bloody sandwiches -maybe the ectoplasm went somewhere else and thus didn’t fill him up?- and munches still looking overly excited.

Sam points her fork at Danny’s feet kinda bouncing around. He shrugs and snickers, “looks like I've got a few new roboticks”.

Which makes Jazz groan as she comes in, “ignoring that, what smells so good?”, looking Danny over slightly and quirking any eyebrow over his green sparky eyes.

Sam rolls her eyes, biting a pepper, “your parents’ made ghost food again”.

Maddie immediately sits up straight, “Dan did actually”. Jack practically cheering, “so it’s not just us!”.

Jazz mutters, “that’s not actually comforting”, because that means it’s either the house's fault or the utensils/cookware.

Sam huffs, “more reason not to have animal products”.

Tucker laughs, “more like reason to!”, and jabs a thumb at Danny. Who throws a quiet, “prick”, Tucker’s way.  

Maddie shakes her head a little as the teens poke fun at each other. Yeah they knew and were used to it. Which was... probably good for Danny. Hurt a little to confirm though. She understands though; her and Jack will just have to continue to be better then.

Not too long later, Lewis is putting away leftovers, Jazz and Maddie are on clean-up duty, Danny’s eyes are back to fucking normal, and Jack’s giving the CyberSteps steps a once over.

Tucker nudges Danny, ignoring Jack doing the typical ‘can you feel this?’ thing, “so theatre’s open. Feel like taking your limbs for a test drive?”.

Maddie immediately pauses with her washcloth, making a point to sound stern, “only if Dan okay’s it, sweetie”.

All the teens look to Lewis, who smirks and fakes being unsure, “oh I don’t know”, relenting at the scowls, “so long as he’s not left alone I don’t see a problem with it”. Tucker immediately high fives Danny, before Jack steps back with a smile; letting Danny run only kinda coordinatedly up the stairs to grab pants.

Danny decides fuck it and opts out of shoes; the CyberSteps toes/boots look like, well, boots. Heading back down and the three friends walk to the door. Jack and Maddie smiling to themselves over the fact that Danny can actually walk around town with his friends.

Just as Danny’s reaching for the handle there’s a knock and Danny’s pretty sure he smells smoke... and that weird new smell from yesterday? Shrugging and opening the door to the sight of a guy who looked like hot garbage yet healthyish. His hair looked like a comb would get stuck in it yet smooth. One bloodshot eye, yet they were also totally clear. Clearly unbrushed teeth, though white. In a leather jacket with burn marks, off-white t-shirt, and torn-up jeans. And a cigarette in one had, dirt under literally every fingernail and in the nail-beds.

“Wow someone’s speed lightning”, the dude looks around, “your yard’s kinda not shit so I’mma just put this out in my pocket”, and shoves the cigarette into his pants. Danny watches the pocket smoke and slowly gain a new hole as the guy speaks, “so if it ain’t obvious, name’s Eddie. Eddie Brock”.

Danny blinks, gapes a little -which the guy smirks over, and laughs. Because yeah, this is exactly his luck.

#danny phantom #phandom #danny fenton #jazz fenton #maddie fenton #jack fenton #sam manson #tucker foley #valerie gray #the box ghost #clockwork #dan lewis #crossover #venom #eddie brock #injury recovery #amputation #prosthetic #phan phic #fan fic #my writing #have a fic suck my dick #legless on maim #phantomphangphucker #clockwork being a little shit #ectology #ectobiology #reveal #character growth #family bonding

[macmazatlan]

Last Divines of Solandril

Regneva Green Titan Log Entry 2

There are a total of 8 Divines that have been seen and active in the world of Solandril. I have encountered them and will be recording this log to give anyone who sees it an understanding of the Divines of Solandri. They are represented in three male, three female and two primal/bestial vessels. These divine vessels each have different aspects based off of their origin. While some of the Divine came into Solandril as Divine beings from their respective worlds or universes, there are some who were chosen by the aspect they represent to become a Divine when they entered Solandril through the singularities. The aspects of the Divine are as follows: warm earth/living flora, beasts/fauna, cold earth/living stone, sun/light, civilization/order, war/peace, abyssal/daemonic and the ethereal.

It is important to understand that the Divine have unique characteristics. Most Divines wield unique weapons, shields, and armor that are unique. Each Divine has a unique aura and other abilities that serve different purposes in various scenarios. The Divines are immune to damage from any source with the exception being a source of Divine damage. Typically only a Divine can slay another by killing the Divine and absorbing their aspect, however there are unique exceptions to this rule.

The Divine of war and peace is known as Sandra. Bearing the semblance of an ancient shield maiden, Sandra is an armored warrior that is a compassionate to intelligent life and is an expert in close combat and tactics. She defends those she recognizes as her declared “subjects”, and has an adverse relationship with Divines Terranius, Mutonbar, and Ri Tan. She see both primordial Divines as threats to the faction she leads and despises Mutonbar for his mixed Divine and daemonic nature. She seeks to bring about peace between the factions on this world but doesn’t agree with Korinthus on the definition of unity under one civilization. She has allied herself with fellow Divine Elaine due to an unknown promise between the two when they met on Solandril. Sandra has a neutral stance towards Divines Korinthus, Solatlan and Serena. Bearing the Bronze shield of a long gone civilization that can brace against any attack along with the divine spear known as “Peacemaker”. This unique spear is capable of inflicting wounds that sap the strength of the opponent, allowing Sandra to gain an advantage in attritional combat should she land her strikes.

The Divine of living earth and flora is known as Elaine. She appears as a maiden from the forest and does not like to fight in conflicts, but will if she must. She much like her fellow Divine Serena and is compassionate for all life. She encourages cooperation between the various factions but she is allied to Divine Sandra and remains at her side. She has an adverse relationship with Terranius and Mutonbar while maintaining a neutral stance with Korinthus, Serena, and Solatlan. She is wishes to improve relations with Divine Ri Tan as a fellow caregiver of life, but her efforts have been rejected each time she encounters the Divine of beasts and fauna. She bears the “Great Oak Shield” that preserves the life force of the wielder and their immediate allies, enabling one to survive fatal wounds so long as the shield bearer does not surrender the shield voluntarily. Her divine bow although unnamed was made from the same oak tree as her shield, any shot she fires from it or that of an individual gifted this bow will always reach its mark with the property of divine damage inflicted.

The Divine of beasts and fauna is known as Ri Tan. He bears the form of a primal being riding a divine Sky Scorpion and wields a spear made from the bones of a divine beast. Ri Tan is rather alien compared to the other Divines with one exception. He has an adverse relation with Divine Sandra as she sees him as nothing more than an animal. He has a developing relationship with Korinthus and Solatlan as they treat him with respect. Ri Tan has a neutral stance towards Elaine, Serena and Mutonbar. The only Divine he considers himself an ally to is Terranius since their primordial connection allows each to understand the other without error. He seeks the protection of the wilds and has a adverse relationship with intelligent life forms that find themselves on this world and leads his own faction for conquest known as the Primordials. He is able to call upon the wilds to bring up an army of natural creatures. The spear he wields is known as “Beastslayer”, a weapon capable of inflicting wounds that force an opponent to lose control and give into primal instincts and lose higher cognitive thinking.

The Divine of unliving earth and stone is known as Terranius. Bearing the form of a small rock golem, he is without a distinguishable weapon other than his own being. He is much like Ri Tan in he can only communicate with certain beings, these being other Divines mostly. He is the most alien of the Divines, being an uncaring and indifferent being to the newcomers to his world. He is the most docile and inactive of the Divines seeking only to journey and observe. Every Divine except for two fear him as his stone body has the ability to draw out the store the divinity to make him stronger and his opponent weaker. If a divine is subject to this aura for an extended time then he can remove their divinity permanently and result in Terranius inheriting the aspect the other Divine lost. Terranius is the only Divine who is truly immortal, he is tough and even if destroyed by a divine weapon then Solandril will remake him anew. The only Divines capable of withstanding his aura is the Divine of Sun and Light known as Solatlan and the Divine of Beasts Ri Tan. Both individuals are considered friends by Terranius as they actively communicate and socialize with Terranius whenever they can. Terranius has a neutral standing with every other Divine despite their fear towards him.

The Divine of the Sun and Light is known as Solatlan. A man in the form of a warrior from a fallen empire. He is an indifferent Divine in appearance with a calculating mind, actively seeking to unify the world he finds himself in. He currently is allied to Korinthus and Mutonbar. His alliance with Korinthus is out of shared desire to unite the peoples of Solandril while his “alliance” with Mutonbar is derived from an unknown agreement between the two. His relations to Divines Ri Tan and Terranius is improving but hasn’t been cemented as an alliance yet. He has a neutral standing with Divines Elaine, Serena and Sandra. Bearing the Divine spear and shield known as “Sunscorcher” and “Eternity Ward”. The spear is capable of slaying other Divines by burning their divinity with each wound, fueling the fire within the wielder. This weapon can also call down beams of scorching light from the Sun along with turning mortals to ash should they be wounded by this spear. His unique aura allows him to restrain demons of darkness and withstand the aura of Terranius. His shield creates a ward that shields him from taking any ranged damage thus only close quarters combat is the way to harm this Divine.

The Divine of Civilization and Order is called Korinthus. A man in the form of a commanding officer from legions that brought, kingdoms, cities and empires of his former world to their knees. An inspiring divine that shares the vision of Divine Solatlan to unify the world they find themselves upon. He is a logistical and tactical genius that seeks to build a lasting civilization to promote order in the ensuring chaos of the singularity events. In their alliance Korinthus takes the role as the visible leader while Solatlan remains at his side, his loyal companion with a shared dream. The Divine of Order sees the necessity to better relations with Ri Tan and Terranius, however he still has a neutral standing with them due to their primordial nature. He has a adverse relationship with Sandra and Elaine, with the first due to her refusal to accept his unity and the second because of civilization’s nature to reap the natural world. He has a tedious alliance with Mutonbar due to the Divines connection and loyalty to Solatlan, however Korinthus still does not trust him due to Mutonbar’s past involving another Divine. Serena is another divine that is secretly in an alliance with Korinthus for reasons unknown. Korinthus bears divine armor known as the “Imperial Armor”, this armor is capable of resisting the additional effects of most divine weapons. His divine sword although unnamed is still a potent weapon in his hands even without a unique lasting property unlike the other Divines. His aura is what makes him unique among the other Divines, he inspires mortals to exceed their own expectations and make them unbreakable in combat. His true power lies in his ability to share his aura with a few mortals making them Demi-Divines capable of harming and slaying true Divines.

The last Divine is named Serena of the Ethereal Snow. Serena takes the form of a species strongly linked with the ethereal plane. She is wise, stern and compassionate in a different sense similar to Elaine but different from Sandra as she is empathetic to all beings, regardless of origin. She has a neutral standing with most divines except for Korinthus and Terranius. Her relation to Korinthus is the two are secret allies for personal reasons. She like most divines has an innate fear of Terranius, but her fear of Terranius is personal as the Divine of stone actually absorbs the very ethereal essence of any being he goes near not just the Divines. Her aura that allows her to commune with ethereal spirits which enables her to seek information form unconventional sources. She has the unique linguistic ability to speak to any faction on Solandril in peaceful terms as her presence is extremely disarming. As a result of her ethereal power, unlike the other Divines she has an understanding of what events occurred to create the world of Solandril. However she refuses to inform her fellow Divines of the truth for reasons unknown. She possesses two divine items, one divine sword and one shield. The divine shield is known as the “Ethereal Ward”, allowing the wielder to phase in and out of the ethereal plane, augmenting her combat potential and travel the land a faster pace compared to that of Mutonbar. Her divine sword is known as “Spiritbane”, a unique divine weapon that does no direct harm to the physical ream of the target, but saps the ethereal energy from the individual who is wounded. This divine sword by its nature can’t kill any being, Divine or not. All it can do is render the target unconscious until they retain enough life energy to regain consciousness.

According to the Divine, the strongest among them is Solatlan. His warrior spirit and unique weaponry give him an advantage in most divine combat. The next is Divine Terranius of unliving/cold earth. Even though he possesses no unique wieldable weapon, he himself is a Divine slayer and the only true immortal in Solandril. Divine Sandra is next and she is another warrior with skill to match Solatlan and possibly even exceed him, however her weaponry is not the best suited to counter the Divine of the Sun and Light. The next two strongest Divines are Ri Tan and Mutonbar. Mutonbar is a barbarian in combat with more default strength than most other Divines, however his lack of advanced skill in combat is his downfall. While Ri Tan is not a powerhouse in strength or possessing a strong divine weapon, his raw skill outclasses that of Sandra and Solatlan. The next two strongest Divines are Elaine and Serena. Elaine is not a direct combat specialist but can be a grave threat for any Divine from range. Serena avoids combat as much as possible but if she chooses to fight she can possibly defeat most Divines except for the top two. However it is important to note that even though Serena lacks the capability to slay any Divines, she is a master duelist and can render them unconscious for long durations of time. The weakest is the Divine of Civilization Korinthus. He can hold his own in combat with most other Divines, but he will still lose in an attritional battle with all of them. His strength lies in his ability to support others rather than himself, as is the nature of civilization.

Regneva Green Titan Log Entry 2

[blackestnight]

Starfinder AU: Biotechnician, Starship Science Officer, Field Medic

Y’shtola Rhul: Lv 20 Gosclaw, Biohacker, Neutral Good. Home planet: Castrovel. Theme: Biotechnician. Abilities: Nightvision (negated), fire resistance, mechanical talent, flexibility. Key ability scores: INT, DEX.

STR 12 / DEX 20 / CON 12 / INT 23 / WIS 12 / CHA 14

Needler Storm Arc Rifle: Shock weapons emit powerful electrical blasts that can damage and potentially stun enemies. Electrical blasts can also leap to adjacent targets, making the weapons well suited for stunning groups of enemies. This gun can also be fitted with cartridges containing medicine or poison.

Custom Microlab: A small customized kit consisting of medical supplies, testing materials, and pharmaceutical compounds, which you can use to evaluate medical conditions. Your custom microlab counts as a basic medkit and a chemalyzer.

Shotalashu Armor: Layers of thin, ablative plate make for light armor that moves with the wearer while providing maximum protection. Military merchants have taken to creating knock-off shotalashu armor in more modern styles, as some of the traditional nature themes are no longer fashionable.

Biohacker: An expert in several fields of scientific study and their relations to biological life. The pursuit of scientific knowledge and expertise is like a pebble sinking into an infinite ocean—each new depth brings a new outlook, new understanding, and new wisdom about the interlocking nature of the wide universe and all matter in it. You are fascinated with science and all its many facets. You understand that the fundamentals of biology, chemistry, physics, and myriad other disciplines can help you bolster your allies and exploit your enemies’ weaknesses, and that they can reveal new insights and epiphanies over time.

Field of Study: Neurochemistry. Using the chemicals and compounds in your microlab, you deliver a chemical inhibitor that interferes with the target’s neurons, weakening their will. Alternately, a friendly target may ignore the confused and staggered conditions.

Field of Study: Toxicology. Using the compounds and chemicals in your custom microlab, you inject toxins into the target’s body, granting the sickened condition as a poison effect. Alternately, a friendly target begins to sweat a foul secretion, granting a penalty to attacks made against them.

Biohacker Theorem: Energetic Booster. Increases one ally’s agility, allowing them to cast spells, fire weapons, or make physical strikes quickly between consecutive movements. This theorem negates any attack or speed penalties the ally might otherwise suffer.

Biohacker Theorem: Powerful Biohacks. You can use fringe science to tweak your biohacks so that you can affect any creature with biohacks that normally don’t affect creatures that are considered inorganic or unliving. If the biohack had the poison descriptor, you can remove that descriptor each time you use that biohack.

Shadow Corruption: Those who spend extended time on the Shadow Plane, are repeatedly exposed to shadow magic, or fall under the sway of creatures such as shadowy fey or certain undead risk contracting shadow corruption. The corruption eats away at the victim’s mind and spirit with the promise of dark gifts that come with frightful drawbacks.

Eerie Perception: Your eyes become milky white. You gain infrared vision and blindsense, though your normal vision ceases to function.

Shadow Jaunt: You can teleport from one area of shadow to the next, though you become apathetic to stir to action, and your reactions become slower.

#final fantasy xiv #ffxiv #y'shtola rhul #starfinder au #transcription below the cut! #and bonuses in the captions #screenshots - mine

[lonely-univ3rse]

Been watching too many rom-coms lately but this one’s real.

I can vividly remember the day I met you… the clinking sound of the keychain on your belt loop, the bandana tied like a headband to cover a wide flesh colored scar that had a story you weren’t meant to tell me just yet. 

It was a February night in New York City — all I could make out through the cafe windows was blackness save for the odd passerby or the tail light of a car headed down the tiny Upper East Side street. 

Closed up like a clenched set of fists, I could not begin to release my fingertips, and reveal to you the fleshy and softest innermost parts of my wrinkled hands and extended palms. I could not begin to share the truth of myself with you, or anyone for that matter. 

But you put on one of my favorite musicians on the speakers, and didn’t even blink an eye when I listened with astonishment to this little-known band from South London. It was like we both knew the same little secret. I tried to imagine the first time you’d heard the soft edges of the vocals, and the thunderous but steady dance of the drums, acoustics, and bass. I tried to image, what it felt like in your body — did you feel it in your chest, in your limbs? Did you hear it and somehow feel understood? 

Perhaps it was a grim state of affairs in my life, and an overwhelming amount of time spent alone in one of the biggest cities in the world that prompted an overwhelming desire to know the secret I saw glinting in your eyes, in the way your body moved, in the way you looked at me. 

Two young(ish) people on the Q Train home — hands grasping the same rail, till you hugged me goodnight. 

Ever since then I carried your name in the undercurrents of my thoughts, though I would not admit it to myself — definitely not you. It’s good for you to be alone, I’d repeat to myself over and over again, over dinners in the lower east by myself, in a diner by Prospect Park in the seat for one cradling a menu and book in hand — even in the corners of bars, in my half-filled queen size bed. 

Three months later, within the same week, two separate calls from opposite coasts to two different people delivered news with a similar message. 

‘Old age’, they told me, ‘he died peacefully and felt no pain. It was time.’

It’s not what you were told, though. ‘A heart attack. A healthy and fit fifty years old.’ A death too soon to a man who placed a descano, a cross, a marker of an ending, at the midway point between your life as a ‘normal’ son of a veteran cop, to becoming the son of a man with another family a few San Francisco city boroughs across town. 

A predictable, orthodox remainder of teenagehood left sitting unlived in middle-space, in the in-between, in another spinning parallel universe that looks much like this one, but sure doesn’t feel the same. 

I returned from crossing coasts for the funeral, from standing above an empty shell (a remainder of a man), and watching his children, now in their fifties and sixties — cry. Were they mourning the death of their father, or the one they wish they’d had? Too late now for a man to change, if it ever was possible at all.

Either way, I was back again, in the city. 

But you were quietly different — loss changes us in subtle ways, doesn’t it? You had said goodbye to a father, and now, you told me, the girl who you’d loved for years, the girl who you’d moved to the city with, shared a bed with, and a black cat named June. You never told me why. I still quietly wonder who left with the fresh scars, and if anyone got away unscathed. I’m not even sure anymore if that’s possible. Even the perpetrator goes to bed licking wounds. Maybe it was peaceful — but it didn’t sound like it.

In her top floor apartment, our mutual friend told me you’d been wishing for me all along, in the days we spent running the cafe, and in the spring nights we spent getting drunk together on shitty beer, climbing trees in Tompkins Square Park, the same place Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe would meet and begin a relationship based on love and dire straits that would never amount to what they imagined it might, something much, much different. 

—

2am on a May night in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn, and we’re walking sidebyeside — marveling at the old mansions lit up like theater stages by the moonlight. 

I could feel it, just like East Coast summer air — a warmth so thick you can almost make a shape out of it with your fingtertips. 

We daringly sat down just outside the front door of one of the mansions — gazing up at a full strawberry-tinged moon. 

When you asked to kiss me it was the best, and worst question to require an immediate answer. An immediate display of affection I had thought about far too often. 

I knew that this wasn’t the first time — no. But the circumstances were not the same as the first life, were they? 

This time, I had found myself in the big apple after following the desire for love all the way to the bottom of the earth. The truth was, I couldn’t bare lost me in anywhere but New York, anonymous, surrounded by sky scrapers that surrounded me like mountains. And this time you were a fresh twenty with a desire to taste and know the curves of my body, and the space between my womanly thighs but not the space beneath my sternum or the stirring of my mind. 

I regret the way things unfolded. I was so afraid to let you in the door but I was so afraid to shut you out and not know you, that I let you in but only partway —  I let you into my bed but I didn’t let you hold me — not really, just gave in and let my limbs rest on top of yours in a stiffened form. I let you call me beautiful, but I wouldn’t let myself believe you. 

I let you call me tipsy and late at night — I let you come to my Brooklyn apartment in a taxi crossing the bridge on a foggy night that reminded you of home — let you unfurl my closed hands that sat between my legs, as you asked ‘is this okay?’, and I nodded as you took them and softly brushed your thumbs in a back and forth motion against mine, tracing the edges of my palms, my fingertips. 

I let you kiss me that night, but I didn’t let you see me… to real, too much risk if you were to really see me and didn’t care for it, see its unique magnificence.

I still think about those nights, about the way your hands felt in mine. 

I wonder why you would want to know the softness of these hands that I have used to love other bodies with, open and shut doors with, brushed tears away at night with, if all you wanted was my physical form and some simple, easy to achieve pleasure. 

I go over those nights and the events (or lack thereof) that followed in the months ahead, often. 

It would appear, that like many instances before — you forgot, and I didn’t. 

I have shared a bed with someone for over 300 nights, which turned into dusk, and dawn again. And he doesn’t linger with me like you do. 

Maybe it’s because we all like a good mystery — we are itching to know the answer to a truth we may never be privy to — we struggle and wrestle with the possibility that some things just can’t be known. We pull out the memories, peer into them with our perceptions, desires, and dreams acting as pseudo-magnifying glasses and hunt for some essence of ‘truth’ some fade-to-black, movie ending to the story. 

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because we’ve known each other far longer than can be quantified by human metrics of time, that a long eternal pathway extends behind us, but only one of us will unmistakably, definitively, know this to be true. 

[plusorminuscongress]

New story in Politics from Time: I Lived in My Car and Now I’m in Congress. We Need to Solve America’s Housing Crisis.

I had never realized St. Louis could get this cold in September. I reached into the back seat to take my 6-month-old daughter and 1-year-old son out of the playpen that was perched in front of trash bags filled with our clothes, and into my arms. The hot, late-summer sun had set, and the temperature plummeted with it. I fought sleep, my eyes watering from exhaustion. What if my babies got too cold and I didn’t wake up? I looked down at my watch. It was 3 AM ─ 4 hours until I had to be up for my shift.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

Today, as a Congresswoman, I remember what it was like for us to live out of my car when I’m thinking about how to legislate on behalf of my district. I think about how society wanted me to believe that being unhoused was my fault. We have a deeply rooted misconception in our country that unhoused people have done something to deserve their conditions ─ when the reality is that unhoused people are living the consequences of our government’s failure to secure the basic necessities people need to survive. Many unhoused people work full time but earn starvation, unlivable wages. Some struggle to access mental health services or substance use treatment, making earning a consistent and stable wage nearly impossible.

When I was living out of my car, I did not know where we were going to eat, use the bathroom, rest or enjoy a quiet moment. I used McDonald’s bathrooms to mix baby formula and wash my body because I had no other options. I received food from food pantries, but I could not eat the items that had to be refrigerated or cooked. This never ending instability, combined with the constant fear of interacting with the police, losing custody of my children, having my car impounded — or even losing my life — left me stressed, traumatized and exhausted.

Being unhoused in America must no longer be viewed as an individual shortcoming, but rather as an unacceptable, life-threatening policy failure. Our government created the economic and social conditions under which I, and countless others, became unhoused — through unlivable wages, the absence of affordable housing and childcare, and an inaccessible health care system. Instead of comprehensively addressing this crisis, our government has approached it with patchwork solutions that disregard the humanity of people without housing and those who are living on the edge.

It shouldn’t be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way.

This week, I introduced a resolution that would put unhoused people in homes, address the compounding public health emergency, and eradicate the conditions that foster the unhoused crisis. The Unhoused Bill of Rights is the first-ever federal legislation to declare the civil and human rights of unhoused individuals, particularly the right to sit, stand, sleep, or eat in public without fear of harassment or criminalization. It describes in detail the multitude of complex issues faced by unhoused people on a daily basis, especially in relation to the disproportionately high levels of mental and physical trauma, substance use disorders, exposure to communicable diseases, and treatment on behalf of health care professionals.

The Unhoused Bill of Rights illustrates concrete actions the federal government is obligated to take to end the unhoused crisis by 2025, protect and enforce the human rights of unhoused people, and provide the highest levels of support for unhoused advocates, communities, and programs. Dramatically expanding the affordable housing stock, mandating universal housing vouchers, implementing universal health care, and guaranteeing livable wages are permanent solutions that will keep people sheltered and safe.

With the eviction moratorium set to expire on July 31st, millions of Americans face the imminent threat of becoming unhoused or housing insecure while the global pandemic continues to ravage our communities. The eviction moratorium must not only be extended, but strengthened to protect vulnerable renters and their families. But these monthly extensions are a temporary fix, not a solution. As elected lawmakers, we have a solemn duty and obligation to develop and enact policies that will permanently end the unhoused crisis. This will require bold, holistic action that addresses the root causes that lead to people becoming unhoused.

As I wake up every morning to a life that is so different from where it was 20 years ago, I think of the person who spends their nights struggling to stay awake out of the fear of what could happen to them or their loved ones if they let their heavy eyelids fall shut. It is for that person, and every person who went to bed without a roof over their head or not knowing whether there will be a roof over their head tomorrow, that we must right the societal wrongs that our failed policies have created. It is our duty to build a better future.

By Cori Bush on July 30, 2021 at 12:34PM

#Time #politics #PlusOrMinusCongress #±Congress #Indega± #IndegaPlusOrMinus #TimeMag #TimeMagazine

[swseats]

ECLECTICLE 6/27

=====

Spencer Johnson said “Life moves on and so should we.” There are times when that is easy to do and times when you have to marshal all of your forces just to get past the tough challenges that life has to throw at you.

For me, Summers have always meant transition. Major life events tend to happen as the days grow long and the nights become shorter. One Summer Solstice, we expanded our family by one more heart and became three -- only to expand a couple of years later to four. Just before my final year of university, my mother, who was truly the center of my immediate and extended family, died suddenly -- tearing a hole in my family’s collective soul that is only just now slightly less ragged and tender. 

Moving to new homes, starting new careers, witnessing your kids first adventure of being away from home, hoping that it actually helps prepare them for the inevitable day they embark on the similar adventure of moving away. But this time for a lot longer than a week.

We begin relationships not knowing how things will turn out. We form friendships and love-bonds not knowing if they will blossom into an amazing flowering of joy and support, or crash and burn in a fiery ball of glory ending in tears and pain. The one who just stops calling after weeks of serious dating. The one where you just have to be honest and say “It’s not me, it’s you”. The friends who 20 years later still prop you up, give you love, and speak truth when it’s needed. Our human connections change and mutate with time -- moving with us as we travel forward along our individual journeys through life.

We encounter life’s hills to climb, rivers to traverse, and deep dark forests to hike through as we attempt to navigate our way in the world. How we manage to keep going and not get lost in the bogs and byways is no less than magical. Somehow we persevere with “This too shall pass” ringing in our ears. 

Like a fresh breeze on a sultry summer day, cooling the sheen of sweat and heat on our skin, occasionally we get a moment to pause. To look back at the path we have trod to we see how far we’ve come. To bear witness to the fact that we are still here and that in and of itself can be a grand feat. It is in those moments we realize that life really does move on...and so do we.

===== 

History, despite its wrenching pain cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage need not be lived again. -- Maya Angelou

=====

If you’re new here, ECLECTICLE Is my “Eclectic Listicle” of the recent things that have been happening in my world. The plan is to make it a regularly occurring place to toss out items of interest and information. My hope is that you will enjoy it and find something useful here. So, let’s get going.

=====

One of the most courageous decisions you’ll ever make is to finally let go of what is hurting your heart and soul.

--Brigitte Nicole

=====

What I’m eating:

Eating #jiaozi for lunch at New Dumpling in #ElCerrito! 🥟🥟🥟 . The dumplings were super good and we *literally* ate ALL the foods! 🤭 The #Szechuan #Beef #Noodle #Soup was full of flavor, but the #PigEar and #Seaweed salads were, for me, the stand out dishes! 🐷

What I’m reading:

Came across this read and thought it was a good reminder about how foods can help or hinder our moods.  The Food That Helps Battle Depression

This interesting piece from Alicia Kennedy and VinePair magazine asks if in restaurants and bars across the country, Can Craft Mixers and Heritage Ingredients Ever Dethrone Big Soda?

Helen Rosner tests out the latest viral garlic peeling craze so we don't have to. Humanity’s Eternal Quest For A Better Way Of Peeling Garlic

Doctor Ask Terminally Ill Kids What Really Matters In Life – Here Are Their Answers  ‘Nuff Said.

As a born and raised Californian, I have always held a strong connection to my state and its history. The removal of this marker further encourages me to be mindful of, and take a broader view, of what symbols like this Mission Bell Marker actually mean in light of a fuller view of history. As Maya Angelou has said, when you know better, you do better.  UC Santa Cruz Removes Historic Bell Deemed 'Symbol Of Racism' From Campus

The level to which I enjoy Roxanne Gay's writing is pretty darned high. This longish read about having a Nemesis, which is different than an adversary, how we respond to them, and ultimately what we find out about ourselves in the process was thoroughly enjoyable. Give it a read! “The Pleasure of Clapping Back” by Roxane Gay 

What I’m Listening to:

Podcast: SF Chronicle

Topic: 2019 Top 100 Restaurants

I found this an ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING podcast on what went into creating the SF Chron Top 100 Restaurant list and restaurant reportage in general with, SF Chron Restaurant Critic and Editor in chief Audry Cooper. Check it out!

SF Chron Top 100 Restaurants Podcast

#SWSEATS #what i'm eating #what I'm reading #what i'm listening to #what I'm watching #foodie #foodblogger #oaklandlocal

[myinconnelly1]

A Life Unlived: The Life I Want Pt 4

Masterlist / Previous

Word Count: 2,975

A/N: Little bit of a canon divergence, just fyi

Warnings: Canon gore, Trigger Warnings: Miscarriage (semi-graphic)

Sam shot awake in a cold sweat, gasping.  He had been having the dreams for almost a week now, and he was having trouble coping with everything involved in them.  He didn’t want to believe they were real, but after Jess and the others, he knew that was foolish.

He shook his head trying to clear it, wondering if he would be able to go back to sleep this time when he noticed that Dean wasn’t in his bed.  He took a look around the dark motel room before turning on the light.  Dean wasn’t in the room.  He looked out the window and saw Dean leaning against Baby’s trunk with a phone to his ear.

It was still dark outside, although dew had started to condensate on the car.  Sam looked over at the clock on the nightstand, which read 4:30 a.m., and wondered who would be calling Dean at that time of night.  Sam picked up his phone and started scrolling through his messages, suddenly aware that he was not getting back to sleep tonight.

~please pick up the phone.  I need to talk to you   It’s important.    I need to know what happened

The messages from Myin were pilling in, but Sam was scared to answer her.  He should, he knew, but what if his visions were true.  What if she told him she was pregnant.  He didn’t know how he would be able to cope with what he saw in his vision.

“Oh, hey Sammy.  Didn’t mean to wake you.”  Dean said as he came back into the motel room looking guilty.

“You didn’t.  Who was that?”  Sam asked suspiciously.

“Pretty girl with an emergency in her pants.  Gotta go, Sammy.”  Dean gave him a shit-eating grin before grabbing his bag and leaving the room again.

Sam sighed heavily before tossing his phone back onto the nightstand and getting into the shower.  He went straight to the books ignoring his cellphone as he looked for anything relating to the mafia witches that were chasing Myin.

He was about to give up in favor of lunch when he saw what he was looking for.  It was a magic backtracking spell.  He could use anything affected by a spell to track back on the coven.  It was a coven he realized with dawning concern, there was no other way that they had been able to kill Myin’s whole family without being linked together.  He was just standing up when Dean walked back into the motel room.  He looked worn down, and he had changed shirts from when he left this morning.

“You’re back early.”  Sam quipped, irritable from not having eaten the whole day.

“Well someone is snarky,”  Dean muttered as he put his things down and flopped onto his bed.  “I was taking care of some….”

“Listen, Dean, I don’t wanna hear about your exploits.”  Sam interrupted not wanting to think about sex still after his encounter with Myin.

“Well, maybe you’d learn a thing or two about women if you listened,”  Dean said crossing his arms sternly.

“You talked to her, didn’t you?”  Sam asked.  “Unbelievable.”

“Well she needed help, and you weren’t answering your phone,”  Dean said pointedly, crossing his arms.  Sam’s expression softened to a pout.

“Fine.  Did she say what was wrong?  So I’m prepared.”  Sam asked as he grabbed together his bag.

“Yeah, she had some questions about what happened to you guys the last time she saw you.  Where are you going?”  Dean said terror etched Sam’s face.  His vision was coming true.  God, he wanted to ask Dean so badly if she was okay.  But he still wasn’t comfortable telling Dean about the visions.  Especially this one.  What would he do if it was true?

“Hello, Sammy?  Where are you going?”  Dean asked waving his hands to get Sam’s attention.

“Oh, uh, I think I have a lead on the witches,”  Sam answered as he finished packing his books.

“Listen, Sammy, I know you think you’re helping Myin by fighting the good fight for her, but let me tell you.  She really needs to talk to you.”  Dean argued as Sam was gathering his things to follow his hunch.

“No, you don’t understand,”  Sam turned on his brother, finger outstretched.  “I’m doing this to keep her safe!”  Sam reigned his anger in.  If his plan worked his brother would never find Myin in a puddle of blood, and Sam wouldn’t have to carry the hate for himself around for that.

“You mean protect her?”  Dean asked cocking his head and squinting at his brother as if he could read his mind if he stared hard enough.  Everyone underestimated Dean, but Sam knew better.  His brother was smart and had caught the nuance of the phrasing Sam had said.

“Of course,”  Sam pulled his hand back in and turned back to the door.  “I’m going to go.  Will you go check on Myin for me?”  Sam asked the words quietly.  “I need her to be okay.”

“Sure,”  Dean responded suspiciously, but placing a hand on Sam’s shoulder non-the-less.  Dean grabbed his bag again and headed back out the Impala.  Sam sighed heavily.  If his plan worked, he was going to have to work things out with Myin after this.  She was going to be mad at him for leaving her alone when she needed him.  On top of that, he was going to be a dad.

The realization hit him that he might actually have a baby.  With Myin.  Something he had wanted from the day he realized that he cared for her.  She was the only woman other than Jess that he had truly felt this deeply for.  That he loved.  He closed his eyes and remembered how beautiful Myin had been when she had been pregnant with Dani.  How exhausted and messy-haired she had been when she clasped her hand over her mouth for speaking her insecurities to him.  How little Dani had been when he held her for the first time, and how Myin trusted him completely to hold her daughter.

He wondered if Myin would want another girl after Dani and Penny, or if she’d want to have a boy.  She had always thought Dani was going to be a boy, talked constantly about how she thought the ultrasound tech was wrong.  Sam could care less, as long as they were healthy and he could keep them safe.  He wondered how Myin was going to cope with having a baby with someone other than Jay.  She had been true to him, and he could tell from the way she talked about him that she loved him completely.

He had been an idiot to come down here.  To think that he would be able to save her.  He wasn’t sure Dean was right about being a good thing for her.  Maybe if he hadn’t come for her, she wouldn’t have been in more danger.

He straightened and wiped at his eyes, then headed out the door.  He wasn’t sure how he was going to fix things with Myin, but he was pretty certain that whatever had happened to Ava, was connected to Myin’s mafia witches.  He left the motel in pursuit of that link.

“Dean?”  Myin asked as she opened the door.  “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, it’s kinda ridiculous, but Sam wanted me to come check on you.”  Dean shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.

“He can’t be bothered to come check on me himself?”  She responded despondently, before letting Dean into the house.

“You know he’s not like that,”  Dean said as he walked into the living room.

“I know.  It just hurts.  I don’t understand why he wouldn’t want to know about this.  I guess that the sex curse was really a sex curse.”  She muttered.  Dean looked around uncomfortably.  “You want something to drink?”  She asked turning to point at the kitchen.

“Sure.”  Dean agreed.  “So how are you doing?”

“I… Ah!  I’ve been better.”  Said stuttered before screaming as a bottle shattered on the floor.

“Myin?!”  Dean dashed around the corner into the kitchen.  She was standing in front of the refrigerator hands open.  The glass had fallen to the ground and shattered.  Her pants were soaking with blood, as she cried.

“Dean,”  She sobbed.  Dean reached out and grabbed her hand tightly avoiding glass to lift her.  “I want Sam.”  She cried.

“I’ve got you.  I’ll call him in the car, come on.”  He carried her out of the house, grabbing a blanket for her on the way out, then let her sit on it in the car and drove her to the hospital as she faded in and out of consciousness.

“Sam, you need to get to the hospital on Hibiscus,”  Dean spoke to the voicemail. Then he threw his phone into the backseat with his stuff.  He pulled into the ER drop off loop and pulled Myin out carrying her inside.

“I didn’t study,”  Myin babbled as the florescent flashed above as Dean rushed in.

“Someone help me.”  He called as he moved up to the suddenly rushing ER staff.

“What happened?”  One of the nurses asked as Dean laid Myin on the gurney.

“She’s pregnant.  She just started bleeding.”  He said, realizing that her blood was all over him.

“Ok, Dad?”  Dean knew if he didn’t say yes, they wouldn’t let him in with her, and he couldn’t leave her alone.  He nodded as he wiped his hands absently on his jeans.  “Follow us, she’s gonna be okay.”  

Dean was thankful that Myin didn’t need surgery.  He wasn’t sure if he would be able to hold out for her, but a doctor was called in to do a quick procedure that Dean held her hand for.  Then she needed a transfusion, Dean didn’t know her blood type, but the nurse found a pair of dog tags in her pocket that listed Dean as a match, so he volunteered.

He called Sam several more times over during the time, but never got an answer or a callback.

“Hey,”  Myin mumbled as she turned her head to see Dean still hooked up giving her blood.  “What are you doing?”  She asked pointing at the needle in his arm.

“Saving your life again, kiddo.”  Dean smiled a little as he brushed her hair out of her face.  “How are you feeling.”

“Tired, what happened?”  Her voice trailed off as she looked away and placing a hand on her belly.  “Where’s Sam?”  her eyes were misty as she spoke but she didn’t cry.

“He’s not answering.  I called Bobby, he’s kinda like an uncle.  He’s gonna help me find him.”  Dean spoke.  

A doctor came in a while later, removing the needle from Dean’s arm, and giving them both some juice.  He told Myin they wanted her to stay for observation, but that there wasn’t much else they could do but wait for nature to run its course.  She nodded numbly, agreeing to things without question, and Dean’s heart hurt for the woman.

“I’ll be back.  Do you need anything?”  Dean asked shrugging his jacket on, out of habit.

“No.”  She whispered.  They hadn’t talked much in the hours since the doctor had come in.  “Find Sam, make sure he’s okay.”  She looked up at him desperately.

“I will, no matter what,”  Dean said.

Dean had made his decision.  He grabbed the small metal box and took Baby to the crossroads.

“I wanna make a deal.”  He said to the dark hair demoness that appeared.  “Sam comes back to life, your freaks and the witches leave Myin and her family alone.  I get ten years and then you get my soul.”

“Now those are some big demands.”  The demoness toyed with him.  “I’ll give them to you, but…”

“But what?”  Dean waited for the hook.

“But you only get one year.  And,”  she held up her hand.  “No getting out of it.  You try and break the rules and Sammy dies.  Myin and her girls become fair game again.”

“Deal.”  Dean didn’t hesitate as he kissed the demoness.

Dean rushed back to the cabin that he had left Sam at.  He was alive and breathing in no time, and Dean sighed in relief.

“Dean?”  Sam asked hugging his brother tightly.  “I figured it out.  I know how the witches knew where Myin was, and why they were after her.”

“I know, you told me before you got hurt.  The witches were in league with Yellow Eyes.”  Dean grabbed his brother’s shoulders making sure he was real.  “Don’t worry we don’t have to worry about those bastards anymore.  You can get the girl now.”  He smiled sadly, then brought Sam by to see Bobby.

“We are hitting the road.  We’re gonna go back and see Myin.”  Dean conspired with Bobby.

“Are you sure that Sam?”  Bobby asked.  And Dean nodded.

“What did you do boy?”  Bobby asked Dean knowingly.

“I made a deal,”  Dean said, not bothering to lie to the old man.  “I promised Myin I’d bring him back.  I promised Dad I’d keep him safe.  This is what I was supposed to do.”  

Bobby simply placed his hand on Dean’s cheek.  “How long’d they give you?”

“A year,”  Dean responded.

The brothers got in the Impala and drove to Myin’s home in Florida.

“Hey, man.  I’m gonna go check into the motel.  Call if you need me.”  Dean said as Baby idled.

“No, she doesn’t need me.  Nothing good has happened to her since we got to town.”  Sam said, hesitant to get out of the car now that they were there.

“That’s not true or because of you.”  Dean looked incredulous.  “She wasn’t in such a good place before we got here.  And we managed to make sure that her little girls still have a mother.”

“She lost her baby because of me.”  Sam hung his head.  “I should have been there for her.

“Hey, look at me.  It’s not your fault.  That shit happens.  And you lost that baby too.  You guys are just starting out, but it’s something real.  Now, get over yourself, and go talk to her.  It’s important.”  Dean all but shoved Sam out of the car then drove off.

“Hey,”  Myin said standing inside the door.  Sam could hear Dani playing in her room.  I heard the Impala, so I got the girls taken care of so we can talk.”  She smiled sadly.

“Hey, yourself,”  Sam responded.

“I was beginning to think you didn’t want to see me,”  Myin said as she let him in.

“Of course I wanted to see you.  I just…”  Sam broke off, unable to tell her how sorry he was for what happened.  “I wanted to protect you, keep you safe,”  Sam said as he plopped down onto Myin’s couch.

“Are you alright?”  Myin asked Sam as she sat beside him on the couch.

“Yeah.”  Sam sighed.  Myin let her fingers play with the edge of his hair.  “It’s just been a long couple of days.  How are you feeling?”  He turned to face her letting his hand caress her upper arm.

“It’s been hard if I’m honest, it’s nice having the girls home, though.  And they make me feel better.”  Her eyes were red-rimmed, Sam noticed as she sniffed and held back tears.

Sam pulled her close and rested his head on her chest for a moment, before pulling her down for a kiss.  It was the first kiss they had shared since they’d had sex, and he blushed as he remembered the encounter with her.

Myin smiled warmly against his lips.

“What?”  He asked embarrassed as she smirked at him like he was an idiot.

“Sam you don’t have to be afraid to kiss me.”  Myin chuckled.

“I just, I was worried about how you felt since the whole fuck or die session last month.”  Sam’s head hung slightly as he smiled.

“I’ve loved you for a while now.  And if I’m honest with myself, I wanted to have sex with you.”  Myin continued to hold his shoulders.  “You leave a pretty good impression.”  She grinned, and Sam was taken aback.  She knew but wasn’t mad at him.  “Let me tell you something, Sam.  What you got packing there, it should come with a ‘go slowly’ warning.  And if I remember correctly, according to Dean, you were pretty upset.”  Her expression softened to one of nurturing.

“I want you to stay with us,”  Sam said somberly.

“I can’t do that Sam,”  Myin said, glancing down the hall.  “I can’t drag the girls with me all over the world just to follow you.  That’s not fair to them.  I do love you, Sam.  I want you to be with me.  Maybe when you finished your journey and it’s safe, you can come live with us.”

“What about Dean?”  Sam asked tilting his head as he relished the way she’d said she loved him.

“He did save my life, we literally share the same blood now.”  She counted in her head as if doing math.  “Maybe it would be alright if he lived here too.”

“Family don’t end in blood.”  Sam joked thinking about what Bobby had said. Which brought him to a disturbing thought, something he needed to talk to Dean about desperately.

“Where did you hear that?”  Myin laughed.  The giggle she let out called Dani from her toys.

“Sammy!”  She cried as she came toddling down the hall and throwing herself at the pair of them.  Sam hugged the little girl back and felt his heart hurt for the baby that he wasn’t going to be having with Myin.  He perked up again, thinking of the way the woman he was holding had told him she loved him.  Maybe it was just not yet.

@waywardbaby @destielhoneybee @snffbeebee @deangirl7695 @spnbaby-67 @maddiepants @tabrown2021 @ladywinchester1967 @woodworthti666 @miraclesoflove @tumbler-tidbits @emilyshurley @akshi8278 @mannls @wendibird @bobasheebaby @flamencodiva @theoneandonlymelol @chelsea072498 @donnaintx @justsomedreaming @supernaturalenchanted @kalesrebellion @prettydeaneyes @emoryhemsworth @idreamofplaid​

#supernatural #Sam x OFC #Sam x Myin #Sam Winchester #dean winchester #Season 2 finale #OFC #Self Insert #Trigger Warnings #TW: Miscarriage #miscarriage #Sam's having visions #demon blood visions #bobby singer #yellow eyed demon #crossroads demon #Mafia Witches #Yea they will probably come back don't worry #A life unlived #a life unlived extended universe #Kinda a happy ending #Myin #Dani & Penny #Dani (OFC)

[queernuck]

The specific neoliberalism at play in rhetoric of divestment from fuel sources such as coal and oil is dangerous in that it requires not only moving to apparently divest, but moreover increasing investment by other means in order to restructure demand in a way that will not meaningfully harm the market. The producing-production involved, the potentiality with which oil and other sources of energy become invested (far beyond any power the oil can itself hold) leads to a substance that is part of a hyperobject, the structuring of a relation that requires a turn toward critique of the man-nature divide and object-oriented ontology to understand.

Flows of power contained in flows of oil are far greater from their mere literal counterparts in that they require relations of objects so contingent upon a privileging of subjectivity, and moreover a distancing from that process that refuses to recognize subjectivity as a process. When Hillary Clinton jokes about putting coal miners out of business, she moves through a relation where coal miners are part of a process of producing energy, are in fact completely precluded from subjectivity and become mere objects. Neoliberalism relies on selective subjectivization in order to make intelligible its relations: production as a process of the neoliberal globe, of strengthening the hyperobject in question by moving away from subjectivity within the hyperobject, moving toward a concept of these related object larger than any singular one, is vital to the neoliberal turn. 

Now, a complete and genuine OOO would in fact begin discussing the way that the coal in question relates to other producing-processes, ignoring the subjectivity with which neoliberal ideologies invest the audience on a selective basis. The production-processes powered by the coal in question are not in fact altered by the shift in energy, and are a different relation that can in fact do as much, if not more, violence to the conceptual environment, moreover investing in the hyperobject of the warming globe, relying upon a specific disparity in subjective privileging between the neoliberal subject and object-bodies who can generate the power to support the neoliberal subject. Trudeau makes gestures toward “phasing out” oil sands while approving pipelines, Clinton puts coal miners out of work while relying upon a globalized sourcing of fossil fuels to power the artifice of neoliberal life. 

Moving toward an OOO is not necessarily the solution entirely, in that it implies a sort of lack of subject that in fact often is realized as a sort of reactionary presence thereof, an articulation of the subject-minus-subject that enforces the process it seeks to critique. However, elaborating upon how OOO can conceptualize the disparities necessary for neoliberalism is a promising avenue. By creating a natural territory from which resources may be extracted, without in fact acknowledging the way in which the extraction, processing, and use of these fuels is a relation of objects that in turn contributes to the structuring of hyperobjects of various sorts, discourses of energy can oppose an eternal and universal human subject with a fragile environment, ignoring entirely that the universal in question requires a dual act of exclusion: the imperial power coming before the universal construction and in fact articulating it, and the subaltern outside of it and unable to articulate within it in any meaningful way.

This is not a complete preclusion from the articulation of the subaltern, but rather a manner of preventing such articulation from entering public discourses about the violence of climate change and to reconceptualize it around the privileged subject, only acknowledging the disparity necessary for this subject when it is part of bringing such subjects into the universal temporarily. The way in which OOO is helpful here is that it allows a move toward the larger assemblages of producing-production that do not put an unnecessary faith into humanisms often retained in the language of anticapitalism, allowing for the relation of objects, of flows, required by capitalism to come into relief as a relation of objects to objects, a producing-production that cannot be realized except through a move toward a neoliberal globe. 

The earth, the globe, the world is a concept, is a hyperobject, is in fact constitutive of certain subjectivities. Discourses on livability ignore that the precarities of neoliberal economies have already structured greatly unlivable lives, ones that are ended before they begin, an inherent lack of subjectivity necessary for these bodies within neoliberal subjectivities. The territories elaborated upon by neoliberal realization of crisis will remain, but the way in which hyperreality extends across them may not. It is not a question of if we can survive, but if we recognize what does. 

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

And the winner is….

I know you all have been eagerly waiting to hear who has won my round the world giveaway…and today, the wait is over.

We got thousands of entries and it was really hard to narrow it down. It took me a lot longer to read the entries than I originally thought and it took even longer to narrow down a winner. There were a lot of good submissions but, in the end, there can be only one and I had to pick a winner.

And that winner is…

Heather T. from California.

Heather, 26, attended Carnegie Mellon University as a Materials Science and Engineering major and currently works as a Senior Consultant for IBM. Inspired by the life and death of her mother, she decided to start treating her life with urgency. Heather filled her free time with singing, salsa dancing, scuba diving, amazing friends, and as many adventures as she could fit in. At twenty-six, she’s recently applied to grad school so that one day, hopefully, she’ll be making a difference with an advanced degree in Public Policy.

In her own words, here are ten facts about her:

I’m a scuba diver

My sister is 10 months younger than me. For one month, every year we are *technically* the same age.

I make homemade artisan ice cream in flavors like sour cream, mango jalapeño, and sweet potato.

I earned my degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University before taking a job in Business.

I’m used to moving around a lot. I’ve moved more than 20 times (I’ve lost count). I went to 5 elementary schools 1 middle school, 2 high schools and three colleges.

I’m learning Spanish. I’ve always loved the language. Growing up in LA I was surrounded by it and always wanted to learn. I’ve been taking lessons but I’m excited for more hands on experience!

I’m extremely allergic to cats and strongly dislike them. Technically allergic to dogs too but I’m a dog lover so I don’t mind so much!

I haven’t eaten fast food since I was 16. I saw Super Size me in high school and gave it up instantly. Soda too.

I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart.

I have a huge family. My dad is one of 5 and my mom was one of 14. And I have 9 siblings.

She’ll be leaving next month and we’ll be getting updates from her journey. Heather will be starting in South America before heading over to Africa then Southeast Asia and looping back to Europe before grad school! I’ll feature her each month to share what she’s been up to!

Here is her winning essay:

At 16, after 10 years of separation, I met my mother. She had previously been incarcerated in federal prison and I barely remembered her.

My mother was wild and warm. One time, she picked me up wearing bright green shoes, blue pants, a red top, and her hair newly dyed purple at the roots. Puzzled, we stared at her.

“Mom, what are you wearing?!” we asked.

“What? My shoes match my pants, my pants match my top, and my top matches my hair.”

In January 2015, she was given 3 months to live when she was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer that had metastasized to both breasts, lungs, liver, bones, spine and brain. My mother was tough, so she lasted 8 months. I saw the pang of regret in her eyes that only comes from a life unlived. She always waited, believing there would be more time to fulfill her life.

My mother had the power to make anyone laugh and she could talk anyone into almost anything. She taught me to live more and take risks. Over the 7 years we shared, she became my best friend. We talked every day. She completed a part of me I never knew was missing. She was the most remarkable person I’ve ever known. Even after all the pain in her life, she knew how to find joy in life and she taught me to do the same. I am so thankful every day that she found me and saved me from who I was becoming.

I feel cheated most days over the short time I had with her. When she passed, something awoke in me. Six months after she passed, I took my first trip abroad. I visited Spain with my sister. Four months later I spontaneously traveled to Iceland and got scuba certified so I could dive between the continents in 0°C water. Two months later, I got an unexpected break from work, so I traveled to London, Paris and Geneva on a whim. 5 countries in one year. I was on a roll. Earlier this year, I took a solo trip to Colombia and in a month, I am headed to Berlin, Prague and Budapest. Travelling is now my favorite hobby, especially solo travel, which gives me the opportunity to break out of my shell.

Each day I feel chained to the job that I worked so hard to earn. I dream about taking off and travelling for an extended period of time. This trip would be the perfect opportunity to do so. I would share my adventures through travel blogging and photography. I think my perspective as a single female black traveler is largely missing from the travel blogging domain.

Life is short and beautiful and I want to make the most of it. I would much rather have my mother here on this earth, but in her absence, I’m glad to have learned how lucky I am to have the adventures in front of me.

(Heather and her mother)

****Thank you to everyone who entered. I wish I could have picked you all but, sadly, I didn’t invest in Bitcoin or any other weird cryptocurrency, so I’m can’t!

I hope this contest inspired you to take action, plan a trip, and dream big. I wish you well on your future travels and hope my book How to Travel the World on $50 a Day helps you learn how to travel cheaper, better, and smarter!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

As this is the last post of the year, see you in 2018!

– Matt

P.S. – I’m hosting a meet-up in Bangkok on Christmas Day! Let’s grab drinks and talk travel Follow the Facebook event for updates.

The post And the winner is…. appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

via Travel Blogs http://ift.tt/2kXc718

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[touristguidebuzz]

And the winner is….

I know you all have been eagerly waiting to hear who has won my round the world giveaway…and today, the wait is over.

We got thousands of entries and it was really hard to narrow it down. It took me a lot longer to read the entries than I originally thought and it took even longer to narrow down a winner. There were a lot of good submissions but, in the end, there can be only one and I had to pick a winner.

And that winner is…

Heather T. from California.

Heather, 26, attended Carnegie Mellon University as a Materials Science and Engineering major and currently works as a Senior Consultant for IBM. Inspired by the life and death of her mother, she decided to start treating her life with urgency. Heather filled her free time with singing, salsa dancing, scuba diving, amazing friends, and as many adventures as she could fit in. At twenty-six, she’s recently applied to grad school so that one day, hopefully, she’ll be making a difference with an advanced degree in Public Policy.

In her own words, here are ten facts about her:

I’m a scuba diver

My sister is 10 months younger than me. For one month, every year we are *technically* the same age.

I make homemade artisan ice cream in flavors like sour cream, mango jalapeño, and sweet potato.

I earned my degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University before taking a job in Business.

I’m used to moving around a lot. I’ve moved more than 20 times (I’ve lost count). I went to 5 elementary schools 1 middle school, 2 high schools and three colleges.

I’m learning Spanish. I’ve always loved the language. Growing up in LA I was surrounded by it and always wanted to learn. I’ve been taking lessons but I’m excited for more hands on experience!

I’m extremely allergic to cats and strongly dislike them. Technically allergic to dogs too but I’m a dog lover so I don’t mind so much!

I haven’t eaten fast food since I was 16. I saw Super Size me in high school and gave it up instantly. Soda too.

I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart.

I have a huge family. My dad is one of 5 and my mom was one of 14. And I have 9 siblings.

She’ll be leaving next month and we’ll be getting updates from her journey. Heather will be starting in South America before heading over to Africa then Southeast Asia and looping back to Europe before grad school! I’ll feature her each month to share what she’s been up to!

Here is her winning essay:

At 16, after 10 years of separation, I met my mother. She had previously been incarcerated in federal prison and I barely remembered her.

My mother was wild and warm. One time, she picked me up wearing bright green shoes, blue pants, a red top, and her hair newly dyed purple at the roots. Puzzled, we stared at her.

“Mom, what are you wearing?!” we asked.

“What? My shoes match my pants, my pants match my top, and my top matches my hair.”

In January 2015, she was given 3 months to live when she was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer that had metastasized to both breasts, lungs, liver, bones, spine and brain. My mother was tough, so she lasted 8 months. I saw the pang of regret in her eyes that only comes from a life unlived. She always waited, believing there would be more time to fulfill her life.

My mother had the power to make anyone laugh and she could talk anyone into almost anything. She taught me to live more and take risks. Over the 7 years we shared, she became my best friend. We talked every day. She completed a part of me I never knew was missing. She was the most remarkable person I’ve ever known. Even after all the pain in her life, she knew how to find joy in life and she taught me to do the same. I am so thankful every day that she found me and saved me from who I was becoming.

I feel cheated most days over the short time I had with her. When she passed, something awoke in me. Six months after she passed, I took my first trip abroad. I visited Spain with my sister. Four months later I spontaneously traveled to Iceland and got scuba certified so I could dive between the continents in 0°C water. Two months later, I got an unexpected break from work, so I traveled to London, Paris and Geneva on a whim. 5 countries in one year. I was on a roll. Earlier this year, I took a solo trip to Colombia and in a month, I am headed to Berlin, Prague and Budapest. Travelling is now my favorite hobby, especially solo travel, which gives me the opportunity to break out of my shell.

Each day I feel chained to the job that I worked so hard to earn. I dream about taking off and travelling for an extended period of time. This trip would be the perfect opportunity to do so. I would share my adventures through travel blogging and photography. I think my perspective as a single female black traveler is largely missing from the travel blogging domain.

Life is short and beautiful and I want to make the most of it. I would much rather have my mother here on this earth, but in her absence, I’m glad to have learned how lucky I am to have the adventures in front of me.

(Heather and her mother)

****Thank you to everyone who entered. I wish I could have picked you all but, sadly, I didn’t invest in Bitcoin or any other weird cryptocurrency, so I’m can’t!

I hope this contest inspired you to take action, plan a trip, and dream big. I wish you well on your future travels and hope my book How to Travel the World on $50 a Day helps you learn how to travel cheaper, better, and smarter!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

As this is the last post of the year, see you in 2018!

– Matt

P.S. – I’m hosting a meet-up in Bangkok on Christmas Day! Let’s grab drinks and talk travel Follow the Facebook event for updates.

The post And the winner is…. appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.