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xuchiya · 2 days

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this song is one of my favorites and this was played while my team and i were having fun showcasing our prototype on our university week and yeah .. it is meant for my crush so too bad he didn't hear my message bc he wasn't there .. jk

fluff (based on a real life experience)

as i walked around, smiling and handing students flyers of our work, who were walking around looking at the computer science and engineering inventions or prototypes created by groups of amazing individuals with intellectual minds.

"hey girly!" almost dropping the flyers, carla—one of my good friends tackled me in a hug. i chuckle, wrapping my arms around her small figure, "hey how's the booth? how many signatures did you guys have?"

she puffs an air out, rolling her eyes, "gosh as much as I want to pass, this is hard. we're still at 50 signatures. what 'bout you guys?"

i look over my shoulders to see 2 of my group mates missing while the other 2 explain our work to wandering and curious students. i turn back to her, "not sure to be honest, ron and james are missing so we could still be around 30? not much."

"oh ron and james? they're holding the guest book paper before they leave." my head clicked immediately and laughed quietly, "smart bastards."

"martin saw what they did and is going around the campus too. anyways ..." her voice trailed off. i look at her confused, leaning on to my other hip, holding the flyer close to my chest "what?"

her lips curled up, bumping her hips to mine with a teasing manner, "wooyoung is walking around ... he's checking out all of our prototype." my eyes suddenly widen at the mention of wooyoung.

wooyoung is 4 years ahead of all of us hence the level year he is, which he is now graduating soon. because of the pandemic and short incomes, wooyoung stopped his studies until both of his parents got back up and let him continue his studies, even though he is already a few years behind though his other friends have work or have their own business, they didn't let wooyoung felt that he is out of place just because he is still studying. they knew his story and they understood him well. good friends indeed.

"oi! you're smiling like crazy, you're in love again ah!" she teases, slapping my bicep playfully. i scoff, turning around to walk back to my booth, "stop and I am not—it's just a happy crush."

as soon as i place the flyers down and face her, my two members plus her look at me with 'oh really?'. i pick up some discarded candy wrappers and threw it at them. they laughed at my reddened face, "geez girly if it wasn't for the heat index here in Manila, we would assume it's for wooyoung."

i turn away from them, grabbing my aqua flask and drinking the ice cold water defending the scorching heat of Manila’s summer. turning the mini fan brought by james, using the back of my hand– i wipe off the sweat trickling down the underside of my chin and jaw. as the days go on, so does the excessive heat, working outside is difficult to do without breaking TOO MUCH sweat.

“here.” a voice called out, i look up and to my surprise, wooyoung crouched on the same level as i was. i stared at him then to his extended hand where a handkerchief was reaching for me, my brows furrowed, “huh? no no i don’t want to. i mean thank you but it’s like .. i mean personal hygiene?”

i rambled without realising it until he chuckled softly, he moved forward– patting the sweat gently. the small distance we had, had my heart flying off the cage of my chest and the heat that was burning people’s skin was now all over my cheeks as wooyoung’s hand, surprisingly soft and gentle, held my sweaty face. his touch sent a jolt through me, and i could’ve sworn his thumb brushed against my cheekbone. a blush crept up my neck, and i stammered, unsure of what to say with our faces so close.

his touched lingered as he pulled away, his eyes searching mine with intensity that made my breath catch, “do you have an extra hanky?” i cleared my throat, pointing at the handkerchief wrapped around my hair, “no, i was in a hurry because i had to set up our prototype that i forgot to bring my clamp or my hair tie.”

he hums, “have you eaten lunch?” once again i spoke, “no …” he clicks his tongue, standing back up, i followed his figure to which i saw him approach my group mates and spoke to them. my head was all over the place, his touch, his voice and the way he cares for someone. so much luck for that person he will be with, breaking my heart in the process that this is all just a stupid “happy” crush, nothing more and nothing less—nothing to take serious. i sigh, shaking my head and scolding my hopeful heart.

“you’re so blind girly…” my head snapped towards carla, she smacked my head gently–playful way. i pout, “what? I’m not trying to hurt myself by giving myself false hope that he feels the same way.” carla sighs, “he wouldn’t go beyond those boundaries if he doesn’t feel the same way or he wouldn’t do those if “friends” act so much beyond that.”

“carla is right.” carla and i turned to wooyoung with a smile, perfect timing, my stomach growled loudly, shattering the silence. my cheeks burned with shame as carla claps as she cackles beside me. wooyoung raised his eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes, “look’s like it is telling me you did not eat breakfast to.”

i scoff, looking away,”told you i’m in a hurry…” i heard him chuckle before i saw his hand reaching out for my wrist, pulling me up, “huh?”

“i ask for your groups permission to let you eat first then after that they can eat.” i turn to my group mates to see them giving me a thumbs up, then looking back at wooyoung, “are you not busy?” he shakes his head, “i can make space for our first date.”

And that my folks, is how he had taken me breathless by being effortlessly romantic and being a sweet gentleman.

#ateez #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez fanfic #ateez x reader #ateez fluff #ateez wooyoung #ateez jung wooyoung #wooyoung ateez #wooyoung x reader #jung wooyoung #wooyoung fluff

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gh0stcav3 · 13 hours

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thinkin’ abt gillions asexuality a ton. its so important to me, and its just one of those character traits that spins in my head like its in a microwave. canon ace characters mean so much to me. like i got so happy when i found out he’s canonically ace bc im ace and like there isnt a ton of rep. and how it never really needs to be explicitly said in canon but its just sometimes off handedly mentioned at. and thats just cool to them all. i could (and probably will) go on a whole tangent about how i think his asexuality affects him and shit like that but its just one of those things that just spins around in my brain all the time bc like. its just something thats there and a part of him and i genuinely love that so much

#ghost boy rambles #jrwi riptide #gillion tidestrider

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avelanlorelay · 3 days

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About Cardan and his mother

I was re-reading the comments on my fic Deniere Danse and most of them are against Lady Asha, which may be proof that she's just as hated by the fandom in the "parents" category as Madoc and Balekin (Or maybe it's bc of the plot I've created, sorry). So one unanimous question is: why does Cardan still allow her to stay in the brugh?

My pov: From Twk to Tpt we can see that Cardan is not as insensitive as he makes himself out to be, on the contrary, he has a lot of love to give (😭) (a side of him that probably only Nicasia had access to🙄). He's admitted to still liking his mother a little and if we look closely, that despite having a strong personality, Cardan is no longer a hateful person. After losing his entire family, he wouldn't throw out his mother, the second only person left of his blood, for bad things in the past. In Tpt we see how he's very happy with Jude and probably, thinks about the future instead of holding grudges about things from the past.

Okay, Cardan isn't the boy with the heart of stone, but why would he still like Lady Asha? Why didn't he lock her back up in the tower of oblivion like he did with Balekin? First of all it's obvious, she never committed any crime. But although the books say very little about their relationship (a shame because I've always been curious about it), I think there are some clues:

In the prologue to Tqn we see the discovery of Cardan's curse. It's said that Lady Asha doesn't seem to know how to hold a baby, but she hugs he when Eldred seems to be considering parting with the child and holds he tighter when she leaves. Perhaps she was just afraid of not having privileges, but it's the only gesture of affection we see from her.

Still in Tqn, Oriana tells Jude about Cardan's childhood:

"It wasn't as though she didn't dress him in velvets or furs; it's that she left them on until they grew ragged. Nor was it that she didn't feed him the most delectable cuts of meat and cake...."

Now, in Htkoelths, when he meets Aslog in the stables, despite being there because of her (bitch) Cardan thinks that if he called his mother she would beat Aslog up and throw her out. I found this passage strange bc Lady Asha is described as delicate and thin, yet Cardan knows that she would protect him from a much bigger and stronger woman. If he's so sure of this, has Lady Asha defended him before?

And finally, just a guess: when he travels to the mortal world in Tcp's time to save Balekin's mortal slave, Cardan travels on a giant moth owned by Lady Asha. It's said that the creature was personally tamed by her and he still remembers how, so he was probably there when it happened. Which means that perhaps Lady didn't leave him completely abandoned, there were moments that the two of them spent together, when she dressed him, fed him and perhaps took him for walks and played with him.

What does my monologue mean? That if we compare, Cardan seems to have more feelings for Lady Asha than for Eldred, because despite so many bad ones, he has good memories with her too. It's not just a blood bond.

It's sad and unfair, but Cardan has a much more forgiving heart than it seems.

There's probably something else too: guilt. If I'm not mistaken, in Twk's deleted scenes, when Lady Asha meets him to talk about Jude, it's said that Cardan didn't free her because he didn't think he had the power to, after all, Jude was the real High King.

Now, if we stop to think about it, Lady Asha had never committed a crime, (if we don't consider her to be the worst mother in the world), yet she probably spent about ten years trapped in the tower of oblivion, starving and cold, completely alone. Not even Balekin or Madoc suffered so much. Can we feel sorry for her for that? Idk, if you're a good person and can even like Madoc, that's fine, but I think it's well deserved. But not from Cardan's point of view, not least bc from his perspective it was his fault. Now, as High King, the best thing he can do to be fair is to reward her for all that time of suffering. So it's understandable that he lets her live in the palace and have everything she ever wanted.

Jude pov: I think that since she would like her mother to be alive and by her side and Cardan has that opportunity (which I would frankly pass up), she would never take it away from him, even for revenge. And like him, she's too happy to worry about the past and people who aren't worth it.

#cardan greenbriar #jurdan #tfota #jude duarte #holly black #the cruel prince #the folk of the air #tqon #twk #jude x cardan #Tcp #the queen of nothing #the wicked king #Jude #judecardan #Lady as #lady asha

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yuri-is-online · 3 days

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I’ve been playing so much Tokyo debunker since it came out CAUSE THE STORY IS SO GOOD LIKE OMLL I’ve currently started the jabberwock story and I’m liking it so far honestly! When I first started my favorites were Lucas (and kaito, mainly bc both of them reminded me of adeuce in a way) but now I’m all sho. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH LIKE ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY. And also screw Leo, I’m glad the few people I’ve seen who play Tokyo debunker all collectively hate him.

(Sorry for the rambling btw I’m just glad to see someone plays Tokyo debunker!)

I made you a meme my annon friend I hope you like it (this is a ramble welcome zone, I'm happy to hear from you friend ♡)

I WAS SO HOPEFUL ABOUT LUCA AND KAITO. I love adeuyuu's dynamic... but it is probably for the best that tdb didn't try to copy that. I hope we get more interactions with them in the upcoming chapters TᴖT I don't want to spoil Jabberwock for you but I need to see Luca, Kaito, and Sho's reactions... and Jin, Alan, and Tohma but meh. Bring me the bandanna boy-

Sho... i have shomany thoughts... girlies on the reddit pointed out he probably just gave MC the fixings from the fridge so he could have an excuse to hang out...

"I need your help with this, senpai." Sho says that a lot I think, always asking MC to come along and do something with him. He gives you the fixings and makes sure to flex when he picks up the refrigerator, trying to ignore how excited your wide eyes make him feel. He knew this was going to be a good idea, he loves how amazed you get over such simple things. His cooking? "Senpai I need your help testing this recipe." You give genuine compliments and are always so excited when he shares it, it should make him sick. Bonnie? You coo over her so much he actually gets jealous of his own damn bike. "That's enough senpai, you'll spoil her." It's usually annoying being the junior but he LOVES using the kohai card, especially on the Frostheim ghouls. "Sorry I need senpai right now, it's really urgent."

He's got a million little excuses for why he needs to see you senpai, all of them with an excuse to show off how useful he is. You'll see, your kohai really is the only one for the job of protecting you~

#<3 asks #tokyo debunker #tdb #i need to go back to the yutu mines but i have sho thoughts for the end of book 3

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screampied · 20 hours

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dont get me lit. this fic has me squirming and crying DONT PLAY.

FIRST OF ALL AUFGHFFHF UR TELLING ME THEYRE FRENEMIES?? ALREADY BUSTED. the way the reader was like “i want you both” WHAT A WHOREEEE… (me too, girl, me too)

“yo” came. tojis voice?? saying yo??? DROOLING FUCK ME SILLY. “girl, bye” sassy ass bitch.. “inspiration, she says” “spit it out” STOPPTPYOTOTOTOR THEYRE SO FINEEEE.

the banter… him calling him a bum with the shut up.. ugh i need to get team tagged by frenemies irl. SUKUNA BITING THE PANTIES IM INTO THAT IM GONNA ACC SCREAM RN AUSGDGDHEUSHE THEN TOJI FUCKS MY THROAT IM LITERALLY GEEKING

toji has a happy trail. im walking through the trail to the destination of his tip. “spit the fuck on it” MDGGGFHFFFH YESSIR 😻 sukuna and cunt slapping DONT GET ME LIT. “eyes up here, eyes on me” im on fire.

AUGHHHH DID THEY JS LAUGH WHILE FUCKING ME IM GONNA START SQUIRTING THATS THE HOTTEST SHIT EVER I LOVE WHEN GUYS ACT LIKE BROS IN SMUT IM SO HAPPY RN 😻😻😻😻😻😻

“you coachin me how to fuck?” please. PLSPLSPLSPLPLSPLSPLSPSLPLSPSLS idk why im saying pls but PLEAASEEE ☹️☹️

“dont ya big guy?” i know you cant hear me, but i just moaned. BIG GUY?? BIG GUY????? im so lit call me mars im actually LIT ON FIREEE, SZA WAS RIGHT LIFES BETTER ON SATURN BC IM CURRENTLY BURNING IT DOWN.

A HEADLOCK???? HEALDOCK??/?1?1?2? IM ACC CRYING NOW I CANT DO THIS MY FINGERS ARE STUCK IN A CERTAIN MOTION IM PARALYSE DRNBEJSNENRBHEJE “upsie daisy” SRARATATWTWFEFEGEG AUGGHH MFFGGGHH IM GONNA ACC TOUCH MYSELF IM DONE.

“let her suck on your tits, big guy.” “wanna make toji a whiny little bitch?” can they make out 🙁 im hoping they do can they make out 😭 BOAFFFFF???????????? YESSIREE THATS WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR. oh?? “act like i wont k.o you right now” DROP DOWN STRIP AND FUCK FIGHT ON THE RING ILL BE THE REFEREE, FIRST TO MAN SQUIRT IN MY MOUTH LOSES 🗣️‼️ no? okay. lets see what they do next 😻

“donr play, yk it is” EEEEEEEEE IM GEEKED. BEND OVER??? ITS ACC YHAT KIND OF PARTY?? 😧 wait idk what to say.. the girl was too stunnned to speak?? wait. what? WHAT??

you fucking ended it when it was gonna get oily. 😐 but its okay i forgive you bc you made this divine ass fic i WILL be getting permanent finger cramps bc of you and thank you for such, im literally crying and kicking my feet :P

— PEARL ANONNN <3

UR SO SWEEEEEET THANK YOU SM FOR READING 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🫶🏽 i always appreciate ur commentary sm u dunno how much this means :,)

i’m glad u liked the banter 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ tehe the best part for that fic was the dialogue between them bc aaaaaa. I NEEDTHEM SOOOO BADDDD hehe the ending i knowww right, it came to me last minute n i was like wait this is kinda 🌚🌚🌚🌚

#anons 💌#pearl anon #🧁#SRS THANK YOU SM :(#MWAHMWAH IM GLAD U LIKEDDDDD BB

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wendytestabrat · 3 days

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the main problem with kyle in the new episodes

ok this is what RLLY bothers me abt kyle in modern south park ESPECIALLY in seasons 24-26 and i think a lot of people are getting annoyed with this shit too. i hate how they’ve been showing repeatedly how cartman’s getting better and acting nicer in the new episodes so like why TF is kyle still being a dick to him and treating him like a monster???? i mean for YEARS kyle has been going out of his way to help cartman and change cartman and making it clear he wants cartman to be a better person and make better choices, so then when cartman finally does he’s just like 😴. like idc if u ship kyman or not it’s rlly out of character for kyle. they’re still canonically close friends so it feels like a missed opportunity for character development on kyle’s end for them not to show kyle reciprocating or appreciating cartman doing better. i guess it’s bc matt & trey are trying to show kyle has been the toxic one and the jealous snake friend all along, but still even tho kyle is an asshole they don’t have to make him THAT big of an asshole. i think a lot of people like seeing kyle’s caring codependent side come out bc that’s the good side of kyle as a person how big-hearted and empathetic he can be. and there def have been some modern episodes where they DO get this right like especially in “the streaming wars” when kyle helped cartman out with his mom’s ‘surgery’ (even tho kyle deadass only helps cartman or feels bad for him when cartman is lying just to fuck himself over which i had talked abt before how he always gets the timing wrong with cartman for those who are caught up on your wendytestabrat lore). i also feel like an episode that DEF got things right with kyle was “help my teenager hates me” from s25. i loved that moment where cartman was crying abt how everything sucks and he lives in a hot dog and kyle is just like “ru okay cartman?” like bitch we need more moments like THAT. even if kyman doesn’t happen, idc like i just wanna see more moments of kyle being a good friend to cartman back (bc they def have given us A LOT of moments of cartman being there for kyle) is that too much to ask? but yeah in the images i used above are from the specials “post covid” (part 1), “south parq vaccination special”, “not suitable for children” and “joining the panderverse” and in literally every single one of these specials kyle’s being a dick and jumping down cartman’s throat when he aint doing anything wrong lol. in post covid he’s all mad at cartman for being a rabbi, even tho we all know cartman wasn’t faking it and was genuinely happy. in “south parq vaccination special” he gets all pissy throughout the whole thing when all cartman is trying to do is save the broship, in “not suitable for children” he’s getting all mad at cartman for making his own cred affinity group which last i checked aint a crime (and we all know he was just mad bc cartman wasn’t letting him in the group), and in “joining the panderverse” he’s getting all mad and annoyed over cartman being replaced by a black woman and he acts like cartman is making it up even tho cartman was telling the truth and there was this real parallel universe shit happening. like this shit needs to stop it’s getting soooo old and all it’s doing is making kyle unlikable af and annoying everyone who used to love kyle lol. like ok we get it matt & trey kyle can be just as toxic as cartman, now can we also see that he can be just as caring and nice as cartman too?

and btw this is why there have been less kyman rants:

#that baby sitting there on fire had me dying LOL #that’s the testies waiting for more kyman rants #south park #kyman #KYMANRANTGARBAGE

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just-my-latest-hyperfixation · 2 days

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📚 🔮 🎨 i love u

Love you too!!! 😍💖🌸

📚 Is there a fanfic or fanfic writer you recommend? Aaaargh, you know that I forget any opinion I've ever held the second anyone asks me for one! There's so many incredibly talented ppl in this fandom, and so many fantastic fics, how am I to choose one??? Here's some I've read and loved recently:

hunter's moon by mourningshowers: a very intriguing werewolf AU with a cool, unique spin on pack dynamics, and stunning prose - the descriptions of ppl's scents in particular stuck with me, they're so vivid and evocative! butter, sugar, and northern mockingbirds by @thefreakandthehair: the most perfectest, soft, mushy, sweet bakery AU. If you're in need of a fic that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy and happy inside, this is a definite rec! Never coming down (with your hand in mine) by @eyesofshinigami: the latest instalment in their omega!Eddie series, which I adore. If you're into a/b/o and omega Eddie, give this one a read!

🔮 Any advice for writers working through burnout or writer’s block?

Some things that work for me, personally:

Just write! I sit myself down, set a word count (100 words, 200 words, doesn't matter, it's about getting started) and don't get up or hop on socials before I have written that word count down. Maybe I'll find my flow and keep going, maybe I'll think it's garbage and leave it for the day. I never delete what I wrote, even if I hate it. Instead, I come back a day or two later and look it over with a fresh pair of eyes. Most of the time, I'll realize that it doesn't suck as bad as I thought it did.

Write something small! If my large WIPs seem too daunting atm, I'll try a microfic or drabble - something small and relatively low effort. Those also have the added bonus that I can yeet them out immediately after they're done, and the reactions I get usually give me the serotonin boost I need and motivate me to write more. (Bc I'm an attention whore like that! XD)

Let the brain run idle! I take a walk. I craft or doodle something. I play with my kid. I watch a movie or go out with friends. The main thing is, I don't write. I try to not even think of writing. That's often when my best ideas hit me out of nowhere.

🎨 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

I am blessed enough to have a bunch of incredibly talented mutuals who have made so much wonderful, gorgeous, incredible art of my work. I look at it daily, it makes me feel so incredibly loved and cherished. I couldn't wish for more! That being said, if someone asked me, I'd probably pick for a scene from Someone who cares because that's my oldest fic (my baby, my firstborn, etc.) and it doesn't have any art yet.

Fic writer asks

#steve x eddie #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steddie fanfic #fanfiction writer #fanfiction #fanfic #my writing #asks and replies #ask games

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obsob · 2 years

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KISSING YOU mentally

#mine #art #yes yes yes more cats i know yes #all my pencil stuff is not. done. im to busy for fun pencil #figured out my new prints!! am in the process of drawing them eheh #im looking forward to colouring them!! doing. pride month prints hehehe #ive had a good week! yay!#i ordered some lucy and yak dungarees which arrived today im very happy about them #i ordered some off depop n i loved them so. i bough some new...n actually th right size #i had to buy size 10!! im never size 10! my other ones r szie 12 n they like. fit. but they r. a little large #not so much they look insane but. 10 fits better #when its autumn i may buy some....cord ones >:) hehe #im like slowly figuring out i am actually size small in most clothing #like for years ive just bought large size bc im like yeah thats how big i am. wrong.#like i bought a small size shirt n it like. fits me. n i was like ough.#im slowly. actually buying clothes that r my style. slowly #i want skirts and dresses but im a coward #maybe one day!!!!

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luxaofhesperides · 5 months

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For the ghostlights drabbles: “Say my name” with a favor being called in?

Duke had saved Phantom years ago, back when he was just out of high school and working to take down a branch of the government that was kidnapping and experimenting on people, targeting magic users and metas. Phantom had been working on his own to take them down, and they met in the middle, trashing a lab and freeing as many people as they could.

They had managed to shoot his back, knocking him down and making him bleed a glowing green. Phantom couldn’t move, protecting two kids with his body, and Duke couldn’t reach them in time before they were taken away by another swarm of agents.

He was able to go after them in time, free Phantom and the kids, and evacuated the victims before Phantom rained hell down on the facility.

At the end, standing in the background as they watched paramedics treat the victims and take them towards the nearest hospitals, Phantom had turned towards him and thanked him.

Or rather, he thanked the Signal and offered him a bracelet with a rounded orb of ice, glowing faintly in the dark. If you ever need me, he had said, Hold this, and call me name.

Phantom vanished once the last of the victims were transported to a safer location, and Duke hadn’t seen him since.

He’s kept up with news about Phantom as best he can, but from what he could tell, Phantom is based primarily in Amity Park, Illinois, and the town is fiercely protective of their hero. News rarely leaks out of there, and with them running on their own servers and independent internet, it was nearly impossible to get in from the outside.

Phantom remained a curious and distant figure in Duke’s life. He holds onto the bracelet still, guarding it carefully and sometimes running his fingers over the ice that never melts.

But he doesn’t call in that favor. He’s never to.

At least, not until now.

Sucking in a breath, Duke prepares himself and holds the orb of ice in the palm of his hand. He’s in civies, unable to hide his identity for this, and closes his eyes. “Phantom,” he says.

For a moment, nothing happens. Duke blinks his eyes open and frowns, mind already forming new plans to contact Phantom. Then the ice goes bitingly cold, almost painful, and the temperature in the room drops dramatically. The ice lifts up from his hand, floating in the air, then cracks open.

White-blue light spills out of it, growing brighter as it seems to swallow up the room entirely. Duke hurries to back up, an arm thrown up to protect his eyes. His breath mists out before him and he shivers as the sound of ice cracking fills the room.

And then, just as suddenly as it started, the light disappears and the cold fades away like a bad dream.

Slowly, Duke lowers his arm and looks up at Phantom, floating in the middle of his living room with a crown made of ice, engulfed in blue fire, hovers above his head. He looks older, more regal, holding his head high.

He regards Duke carefully for a minute, then tilts his head and says, “Signal?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Man, I’m so glad you came.”

“You… need help with something? You’re calling in your favor now, right?”

Duke nods. He understands Phantom’s confusion; being in the hero business means that favors like these tend to be used only during the most hopeless of times, when the world is close to ending, when the chances of getting out of a situation alive is close to impossible. It’s exactly the kind of thing Duke was expecting to call Phantom in for.

Not the kid sleeping on his couch.

“You’re a ghost, yeah?”

Phantom blinks at him. “Ghost king, now. Why?”

“Well…” Duke rubs the back of his neck, nervously. “I didn’t really know who else to call, and I can’t do this on my own since I’m not a ghost. But this kid got attached to me and won’t leave, so now I’m taking care of her and I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“I don’t know why you think I have any experience with kids but—”

“She’s a ghost.”

Phantom stops short. “Ah. I see.” He floats down until his feet touch the floor, and then he’s standing like any other person. “Where…?”

Duke looks past Phantom’s shoulder, and Phantom turns to follow his gaze. Chelsea, the ghost girl, looks to be around nine years old and is fast asleep on the couch, curled up under Duke’s softest blanket.

“Signal,” Phantom says quietly, “What, exactly, is the favor you need from me?”

“You can say no,” Duke starts. “I get that this is a lot. But I need help raising her. And since you’re a ghost, I figured you could help me learn about the ghostly side of things. You don’t have to raise her with me or anything! Just… I would appreciate any help you’re willing to give me.”

Phantom doesn’t say no. He doesn’t say anything. He just stares down at Chelsea, an unreadable expression on his face.

On the couch. Chelsea shifts in her sleep, brows furrowing as she makes a choked noise in the back of her throat.

Moving on autopilot after so many nights of this routine, Duke kneels next to the couch, fishing one of her hands from beneath the blanket. He gives it a few reassuring squeezes, keeping it a slow rhythm to pull her gently from her nightmare. She settles down in just a minute, brow smoothing out as she continues to sleep.

The silence grows and Duke is all too aware that his heart is the only one beating.

He doesn’t hear Phantom move. Doesn’t realize he’s right next to him until he sees Phantom’s hand reach out towards Chelsea. When Duke looks, Phantom is sitting on the floor next to Duke, looking at Chelsea with something soft and devastated in his eyes. His hand hovers about her head for a long moment, then slowly lowers to rest on her head.

The touch looks gently, barely putting any pressure on her head, but it’s enough to make Chelsea’s eyes snap open, suddenly wide awake. She stares at Phantom with wide eyes, then sits up and looks between him and Duke.

“Who are you?” she asks in a small voice that makes Duke want to stand against the world to keep her safe.

Phantom smiles. It’s casual and charming and makes him look like anyone else, as if he’s not a powerful king from a realm unreachable to humans. “Hi there,” he says, “I’m Danny. I’m a ghost like you. Signal called me and asked me to meet you.”

The Ghost King is good with kids. Who would have thought?

Chelsea looks at him for confirmation and only relaxes when he nods. “I’m Chelsea. What do you mean ghost? I’m not dead.”

Both he and Phantom tense, carefully keeping their expressions neutral. She hasn’t told him much at all, just that her parents were gone and forgot her and she got hurt, so she wanted to stay with ‘Mr. Signal’ because he’s a hero and heroes keep people safe and he was the only one who was Black like her. Duke hadn’t had the heart to say no, and began searching for her family, only to find that her parents had fled the state, and likely the country, after killing their only child through neglect and a dangerous environment.

It was then that he realized that her powers were not because she was a meta, but because she was ghost.

It still hurts to realize how young she is, how much of her life had been stolen from her in an instant. Duke hadn’t been brave enough to broach the topic with her, instead choosing to let her grow comfortable in his presence, get them both settled into a routine now that he was her primary guardian.

“I know it sounds scary,” Phantom says, “And you may not want to believe me, but it’s true. I’m sorry that you died so young, but that just means you get to hang out with me and other ghosts from now on!”

Chelsea crosses her arms over her chest and glares at him. “I am not dead,” she says.

“Cici, I’m sorry to say this, but you are,” Duke cuts in. “That’s why I called… Danny. You have new powers as a ghost, and he can help you get used to them.”

“I’m not dead!” she says again.

“Kid,” Phantom begins, but Chelsea shakes her head hard and hops off the couch.

“I’m not lying! Watch, I’ll prove it to you!” She closes her eyes and scrunches up her nose, concentrating. Her hands curl into tight fists by her sides, and the glow around her grows dim. Two faint, stuttering rings of light appear around her waist. They flicker and wobble in the air, as if weak and uncertain of their own existence, then split apart, one moving up towards her head while the other falls to her feet.

Beside him, Phantom sucks in a sharp breath, but Duke can’t turn to see what’s wrong when he’s trying to take in the sight of Chelsea suddenly full of vibrant color, looking more solid that he’s ever seen her, very much alive.

“See?” she says proudly, lifting her arms and doing a spin to show off her right she was. “I told you I’m not dead!”

“No, you’re not,” Phantom agrees, sounding shell-shocked. When Duke is finally able to look away from Chelsea to check on him, he looks awed. There’s the smallest smile on his face, just the slightest upturn of his lips, but it makes him look softer.

Duke turns his attention back to Chelsea before he can be caught staring. “Cici, can you come here for a second?”

She goes before he’s finished speaking, crossing the space between them in a single jump, then grins up at him. Her hair is a bit of a mess, the two buns he managed to get her hair into falling askew. He makes a note to visit the old aunties in the Narrows later to ask them to teach him how to do hair. For now, he holds out a hand and Chelsea drops an arm into it.

It seems to good to be true, having her be alive, but her pulse is steady and strong when he presses his thumb against the inside of her wrist.

“Well,” he says, leaning back and letting go of her arm. “You certainly proved us wrong.”

Chelsea doesn’t have much time to look smug before PHantom quietly says, “You’re like me.”

“What?”

“You’re like me,” he tells Chelsea. “A halfa.”

She tilts her head to one side. “What’s that?”

“Someone who is half human and half ghost. Both dead and alive.”

Duke blinks, taking in the words, then turns to face Phantom so quickly he’s worried he might give himself whiplash. Halfa, he said. Like me, he said.

And sure enough, two rings of light, bright and strong, appear around Phantom’s waist before splitting in half, moving over his entire body.

Gone is the Ghost King, all powerful and adorned in dark clothing with a crown of ice above his head. In his place is a guy who looks to be Duke’s age, eyes a deep blue and his black hair messy, feet set solidly on the floor. He looks completely normal, completely human, and no longer an impossibility.

“You still up for learning how to use all your new powers?” Phantom asks.

Chelsea grins. “Yeah!” And then, with a quick flick of her eyes going from Phantom to Duke that he almost misses, very innocently asks, “Are you going to stay with us then?”

“I… don’t know?” Phantom looks to Duke for an answer.

Already, Duke can see this going two ways. The correct way forward, the normal one, has Phantom popping in every so often, taking Chelsea out for a few hours to work on training her and her powers. It’s easy and routine and they can keep their boundaries uncrossed and be professional.

The other path is what Duke wants most that he shouldn’t impose onto the literal Ghost King. He could have Phantom living with them while he’s on Earth and out of Amity Park, having a place at the table, a section in the closet for his own clothes, a quietly domestic night together while Chelsea sleeps where they can get to know each other more, get to know each other outside of news reports and texts on a screen.

“You can stay with us if you want,” Duke offers, casually, “It might keep my apartment safe from her powers acting up on their own again.”

“Are you sure? I could always just fly in on the weekends or something.”

“I’d appreciate having you around. So you can help Cici.”

“If you don’t mind,” Phantom says, looking away. Like this, fully alive with a beating heart, it’s easy to see the blush steal away across his cheeks.

“I don’t.”

“I don’t either!” Chelsea pops in, looking far too gleeful by their awkward conversation.

Duke can’t help but laugh, feeling lighter than he had in ages. The relief of knowing that Chelsea is alive, for the most part at least, eases the guilt of thinking he had been too late to save her, that there was no chance she could have made it out and had a future, makes him feel weak. All the exhaustion of the past few weeks hits him all at once and he wants nothing more than to collapse in bed and sleep for twelve hours.

“Alright, squirt,” he says, reaching out to pat her head. “It’s late. We can talk more in the morning, so go to bed. In your actual bed this time, not on the couch.”

Chelsea stands up taller, ready to argue, but Duke gives her a Look™ and she quickly shuts her mouth, nods, and drags her feet back to her room (the former guestroom he can never give any of the other Waynes ever again, once they find out about her).

Sighing, Duke collapses onto the couch once he hears the door shut behind her. Phantom joins him after a few seconds, sitting tentatively on the edge of the couch. The cushion moves beneath his weight, another reminder of how solid and alive he is right not.

Duke wants to touch him, to reach out and feel for himself his pulse, the warmth of his body, his chest lifting with each breath.

He doesn’t move. He stays where he is, hands carefully still, and tries to think past the dizzying thoughts of she’s still alive, I’m not too late, he’s still here, he’s alive.

“Rough week?” Phantom asks, voice purposefully light.

“Something like that.”

“You should get some sleep too.”

“I don’t think I can. Not after everything. My mind’s too loud right now.”

Phantom shifts closer to him, hesitant in a way that Duke has never seen before in him, and asks, “Want me to stay with you until you mind quiets down some?”

“Yeah. I’d like that. Thanks, Phantom.”

“You know, if I’m going to be around so often as Chelsea’s halfa mentor, then you might as well call me Danny.”

Truth be told, Duke didn’t think that was his real name. He’s glad to know it’s not.

“Then call me Duke.”

“...Are you sure? You could still hide your identity from me.”

“Nah, I trust you. A name for a name, yeah?”

Danny smiles. “Duke,” he says, testing out the name, and it’s never sounded better than when it falls from Danny’s mouth.

“Danny,” Duke returns. He belatedly realizes that they’ve leaned towards each other, drawn together like gravity, stuck in each other’s orbit. It feels natural. It feels like this is where they’re meant to be.

Maybe he should be more cautious. They’ve only meant once before, after all. But he’s read all he could on Phantom and has seen how Amity Park loves him. He’s stressed and exhausted and trying to figure out how to look after a half-ghost child that’s already been dealt a bad hand in life. He should be keeping Phantom at a distance, watching over him carefully to ensure he isn’t a threat to Chelsea.

But Duke saw how he acted with Chelsea, so gentle and understanding and kind. That’s all he needed to see.

He may not know much about Danny, but he knows this: he is trustworthy.

Enough to entrust his identity to him.

Enough to entrust Chelsea to him.

It’s more than a favor; it’s a promise to walk this road together.

There’s no one he’d rather do this with.

“Thanks,” he says again, “For all of this. I know it’s a lot.”

Danny shrugs. “I don’t mind. Really. It’s nice to know there’s another halfa out there, no matter how she came to be one. Makes things feel less lonely.”

“Will you tell me more about halfas?”

“Later. Once you get some proper rest. We’ve got time, haven’t we?”

“We do,” Duke agrees, affection settling warm in his chest. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

Learning how to control her new powers won’t be easy for Chelsea. Learning how to take care of her won’t be easy. Learning how to do things together, as Duke and Danny rather than the Signal and Phantom, won’t be easy. But Duke knows with a certainty he feels in his bones that they’re going to be fine.

So long as they’ve got each other, they’ll be fine.

#ghostlights #dc x dp #dp x dc #dcxdp #dpxdc #dc x dp fic #prompt fill #my writing #thought a lot abt what the favor could be but i could not resist the idea of surprise co-parents once i thought of it #here's a kid who clings to someone she knows is safe bc she is scared and alone!!#heres a stressed out hero trying to take care of a kid with no knowledge of how to do that!! and the kid is a ghost!!#heres a ghost king expecting to be used as a weapon and called in for a big battle suddenly finding another halfa!!!#so much going on here. so much to think abt with this!!!!!#i do love found family like this where they all kinda stumble into it and do their best to make it good #also could not resist making yet another oc. chelsea has my whole heart i love her <3 shes my daughter first #the bats dont know abt chelsea yet!! bc she can go invisble. its all been instinct every time they pop over to visit duke #soon she'll be able to control it and meet them properly #by properly i mean dukes gonna go over for sunday brunch and a little girl is gonna pop out from behind him like 'hi! im new!'#they will all love her of course. they will be shocked but happy!!#and a little less happy abt the GHOST KING duke has been hiding in his apartment that hes co-parenting with #sorry for the long tags im obsessed w this idea i want to Expand on it #maybe one day... with my other wips out of the way...

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