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goodfish-bowl · 3 years

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Snippet 1: Alone

Here is the Vlad Snippet for Dead to the World. Snippets will typically be shorter than 2k words and in one perspective.

Can also be found here.

Vladimir Masters knew an opportunity when he saw one and knew better than to let one pass him by. He had been meaning to reconnect with his (former) college “friends” in recent time, either way. He was going to plan a “college reunion”, but then, of course, there had been a sudden change, and not all change is bad. While the nature of the event was surely tragic, the opportunity it presented was not. In fact, it was one of the best things to happen to him personally in a long while. When Maddie’s son passed in a heartbreaking accident, Vlad’s only thought had been that he should be there to support her, and he pushed his long-schemed plan ahead of schedule by months. With Maddie in the fragile state she most surely was in, he would be able to sweep her into his arms, and away from Jack’s with much less hassle than his original plan.

Vlad’s new plan was simple enough compared to his old one. He would show up, and offer Maddie much needed consolation and support, help her through this trying event, and somehow twist it so that the boy’s death would have been Jack’s fault. Nothing was more powerful than a mother’s love, after all, and such a thing would drive Jack far off, and Vlad that much closer to what his heart desired. He would hardly have to do much of it himself, if everything went swimmingly. Maddie would realize his feelings for her, and she would return them. Then he would have her to himself, and he would finally be complete.

When Vlad heard how the boy, Daniel, he believed had been his name, had died, he almost burst out laughing at the irony of it all. A portal. The boy had died inside of a ghost portal, electrocuted to death. He almost found it hilarious that a portal had killed Jack’s son due to his mistakes. They had found several obvious, exposed electrical problems inside the portal that had been the exact cause of death for young Daniel, a mistake Vlad knew Maddie would never make. Jack had not only killed his (former) best friend, but his own son, using the same damn thing no less. Vlad wonder if this was some sort of karma inflicted onto Jack for what he had done to him so many years prior, and only wished it hadn’t affected Maddie so deeply as well. The jumpsuit-clad buffoon had had it coming.

But, something about the whole thing bothered Vlad, a gut feeling. No, it was something in his core, not his gut. But it was impossible, the boy was dead as a doornail, he hadn’t survived, and surely wouldn’t become what he was, despite the similarity in their cases. There was a much higher chance of the boy becoming a full ghost, especially since he had died inside the portal, than becoming a half-ghost. The boy had crossed over too-completely for Vlad to have that vain sense of hope his core insisted on feeling, that he would no longer be alone. Vlad would no longer be alone once he had Maddie, he reasoned. She would accept him and love him, completely, even if not at first, she would eventually. Then he would finally feel complete. But it tugged insistently, hopelessly hoping that the boy would come back. It would sooth Maddie, he supposed in a way, if her son somehow survived his period beyond the veil, and he could still continue to drive it between her and Jack, since the boy, Daniel, would no longer be alive either.

Vlad spent the next two days helping Maddie where and whenever he could. He had never met either of Maddie’s children before now, so he wasn’t expected to make a speech at this event, a rare thing for the CEO. Jazz was pleasant enough in her grief-stricken state. Smart, almost frighteningly so, but he’d expect no less from Maddie’s daughter. The only traits of Jack she exhibited would be her own fixation on psychology and her tendency to be easily distracted. Thankfully, there was little resemblance otherwise, and he was keen to dote on the girl to gain Maddie’s affections. He spent a comparable amount of money on flowers, paid for the hall where the funeral would be held, and even covered the cost of the grave site where Daniel would be buried after the funeral. He didn’t know what kind of flowers Maddie liked, something he definitely should know, so he bought them all, and had them arranged into a draping arrangement to be displayed on the casket. He was sure she appreciated the sentiment without knowing its full purpose.

Vlad was extremely careful on the day of the funeral, as he soothed Maddie. He had to be careful what words he said and even how and where he stepped. He had to make sure not to insult or aggravate her in her fragile state, less she turned on him instead of her own husband. He decided he wouldn’t drive her and Jack apart just yet, not until she had at least partially recovered from her grief, it would be easier then than it would be now. If those 20 years locked away taught him anything, it was patience. He wore an expensive, yet strikingly simple, black suit to the funeral. Maddie was the star of it all, all eyes should be on her, not him, for once. He was in awe of her the entire time, clinging to her every word and action, how the black dress she wore clung to her frame in a modest, yet oh so thought-provoking way, at least to him.

Vlad was surprised when he actually recognized one of the attendees, the Mansons. They were a rich, influential, and well-connected family, and liked to isolate themselves to the higher-class circles, so he was genuinely surprised to find them here. Their daughter, whom he had never had the displeasure of meeting, was apparently a close friend of Daniel’s and he could appreciate the eloquence of the dress she wore. Vlad didn’t even give the Mansons a second glance.

Vlad was fixated on Maddie’s opening speech about her son and ached a bit inside. He couldn’t tell if it was his core or his cold, lonesome heart that clenched at the near-visible pain Maddie was in, but it tugged at his heartstrings all the same. She spoke of memories she had with Daniel, some embarrassing and heartfelt others near tragic, as she recalled how he grew up. Vlad watched her stave off tears with all her strength as she trudged on and his love for her only grew. He barely heard the words she was speaking, but he clung to every single one of them.

Then, of all the damnest things, his core burst out, burning him internally, another ghost was nearby. Small and weak, but it was there all the same. He glanced around, bitter to have his attention torn away from Maddie, but this was important. Ghosts knew not to bother him as Masters. He swiveled his head around, careful to be subtle in his sudden change of focus. He couldn’t spot anything, but there was a ghost nearby, very nearby, but where?

It was quiet, muffled, inaudible to all but him. Cries for help and banging on wood, desperate and pleading, and weakening by the second. They were coming from the casket.

Vlad hated what he did in that moment, the confused stares and shouts of anguish and then horror that had been directed at him, Maddie had shouted at him. It was basically sacrilege, what he had done, but it had to be done, he physically couldn’t have done anything else, consequences be damned. He had no choice.

Vlad threw up the front lid of the casket, something no one else have been able to do, since the casket had been effectively locked, and the lid too heavy to be lifted with one arm, let alone flung open. The hinges creaked then snapped as the lid fell against them and the top half of the casket slammed into the floor behind the alter, but he could care less. He ignored how the sounds behind him suddenly shifted from outrage to unnerving silence. Vlad, carefully as he could, picked up the shivering, panicking boy inside.

The boy was near hysterics himself, pupils blow wide, breathing erratic. But his eyes, oh his eyes, they glowed that same toxic, unmistakable green that the Ghost Zone did, the green glow of ectoplasm. Vlad could even feel the thrum of ectoenergy in the boy as he picked him up, dragging him into a sitting position. Daniel was weak, like a struggling kitten, as he strained against Vlad to see what was going on, the green in his eyes flickered out. Vlad hardly remembered to breathe as his mind confirmed what his core already had known.

Daniel Fenton had come back to life three days after his death, but that hadn’t mattered to Vlad then. No, the only thing that mattered when Vlad had picked up the distressed teen was that he was no longer alone.

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While I like this, I feel like it really wouldn’t have worked well in the original, since it really doesn’t hold the importance other than showing what Vlad is up to, which I really didn’t want to do in the original as well.

#Danny Phantom #fanfic #au #vlad masters #dead to the world #snippet #AO3 #goodfish writes

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