#but for now we got the ghost and the lantern

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

obligatory rock murder mention

#i think someone said earlier that they had kind of a lot of mind control stories 'back in those days' #dont remember where #but now im trying to think if we have a lot of them in new who #and if theres something to that in terms of like societal preoccupations #but i guess im just gonna have to...........continue my classic who watch for that and make notes #what do we have in new who? satan comes to mind #midnight but i feel like thats..........a very particular kind it's not like the hypnosis thing you see here #or with the master #or i think sarah jane in the hand of fear? #maybe its JUST because they had the master around who kept hypnotising people tbh like that seems possible #the unquiet dead but thats ghosts more than mind control #i feel like we've got more bodies being taken over than minds in new who? #like the gas mask thing. midnight like i said. 42 with martha and 10? #love and monsters. idiots lantern. the vashta nerada. that guy who got turned into an ood. the masters thing in end of time #11 and the flesh. the god complex perhaps could be mind control? but feels different to me too #but i also havent watched really a lot of classic who so i dont know the vibe of their supposedly frequent mind control #town called mercy. asylum of the daleks. crimson horror. journey to the centre of the tardis? cybermen #it all feels more about the hijacking of the body than the mind or will or whatever #would be intersting to actually look into #if i continue my classic who watch #biggest mind control in new who might have been those mummy monks in pyramid/lie of the land?

[maniacwatchestheworld]

Things to do with Jack and Maddie without them being abusive

As someone who actually likes Jack and Maddie as characters (I'm a fervent shipper of Maddie/Jack/Vlad), it's a real bummer to see so many people out there deciding that for their DPxDC AUs that Jack and Maddie are abusive, when that really doesn't represent how they are in canon. Now I fully acknowledge that doing this can be a very useful tool for telling certain types of stories, and if you want to make a story about recovering from abuse and finding a new found family, all the more power to you for that! But for any other type of story where them being abusive isn't necessary for the backstory of the story you want to tell... It's just a bummer to do that, y'know? If you don't want to tell a story with Jack and Maddie in it, that's entirely fine! I'm not asking you to. But there are ways to get rid of them without making them abusive or dying. Of the two, I personally would prefer them dying (I just like the story potential of that, especially as far as Vlad is concerned). But there are plenty of easy things to do with them to keep them out of the story that don't require them being abusive or dead! So I'm here to give a list of things that can happen to them (that have precedent within either Danny Phantom itself or the DC universe) that keep them out of the story that don't require much explanation as well as some other ideas for what you can do with them if you have no idea what to do with them otherwise.

Lots of ideas under the cut! (Feel free to take what you want. As always, credit is appreciated, but not necessary. But I would love to see what you do with it!)

If you need them permanently absent so that Danny can get adopted

Fell into the Ghost Zone and cannot be found.

They are gone for whatever reason and Jazz is currently Danny's legal guardian (she's 18 or older and is therefore a legal adult).

While in the Ghost Zone, they accidentally traveled through time/got transported somewhere where they can't get home easily.

They got severely Joker gassed and are in medical care. (This is actually what happened to Duke's parents!)

They got severely Scarecrow gassed and are in medical care.

Went insane for some supervillain-related reason and are now missing/in medical care.

They were kidnapped by a villain for some reason.

They were kidnapped by a villain and are currently in a lotus-eaters simulation and therefore don't even know that they've gone missing.

Abducted by aliens.

They got wrapped up in some supervillain bullshit and now have amnesia and are unable to recognize Danny and Jazz.

They got magicked into something that can't take care of Danny and Jazz.

They were experimented on and are now incapable of taking care of Danny and Jazz.

Some cosmic entity did a whoopsie that effected Jack and Maddie and now they're in a condition/situation where they cannot take care of Danny and Jazz.

Got arrested and are in jail for some reason.

Were arrested and sent to jail for a long time. Have since joined Task Force X/the Suicide Squad for lienency.

Got hit by a stray Zeta-Beam and are now on some alien planet.

They got teleported somehow. We aren't certain about the details.

They fell into a hole to another world.

They no-clipped out of their normal reality.

Stranded with no way home.

They somehow ended up on a different planet. They are just hanging out with Space Cabbie now, who is just having a ROUGH day and can't find Earth for whatever reason.

Inducted into a Lantern Corps and are VERY busy because of it!

Coma.

Effected by a debilitating illness/disease/condition that makes them incapable of taking care of others.

They were forced to go undercover for some reason and therefore vanished. (Letting their kids know is optional)

They were forced to go undercover for some reason and were forced to fake their deaths.

They died, but came back to life. Danny has not been informed of this.

They got possessed by a superhero or supervillain who just wandered off with their bodies.

They got separated following a disaster and haven't been able to find each other again.

They've been retconned to hell and back again to the point where no one is entirely certain where they are, what they're doing, or even if they're alive anymore. Don't worry about it! Only mention them when it's relevant and the rest of the time we aren't going to bother explaining what's going on with them. If they are mentioned, accounts of where they are and what's going on with them are contradictory.

They're around, but will go unseen throughout this story

Any of the situations in the previous section, but it only happened to one of the parents, and the other is just too busy working and taking care of the kids by themselves.

The same as previous, but they also moved to Gotham.

Retcon things so that the events of Danny Phantom actually happened in Gotham City all along. (Maybe Amity Park is like... A suburb in the greater Gotham area.)

They went on vacation/were hired for a job that would take them away from home. They left Danny and Jazz to be taken care of by Vlad. Vlad is an asshole, so they ran away from him.

They went on vacation/were hired for a job that would take them away from home, but now that Jazz is over 18, she's been left in charge.

Put into Witness Protection by the government/the Guys in White.

Danny and friends have graduated from high school and are now legal adults, perhaps in college.

Danny's whole family moved to Gotham City. They're just at home/working during the events of this story.

Jack and Maddie have been hired to do some work with the Justice League and need to be away from home for an extended period of time. They have left a member of the Justice League to take care of Danny and Jazz in the meantime.

Fieldtrip/school trip to Gotham City.

Danny is old and responsible enough that Jack and Maddie trust Danny (and/or Jazz) to travel on their own. His parents are just a call away if he needs help.

Jack and Maddie are separated for whatever reason (one went missing/one is working abroad/they are divorced/one died) and the other moved to Gotham and is taking care of the kids in the meantime, but is busy and so will not appear.

Something happened to Fenton Works and the family needs to temporarily stay somewhere else while the problem with Fenton Works is sorted.

The family was driven out of town and they ran off to Gotham to escape the angry mob. (Or at least to wait until things cool down again.)

Jack or Maddie are able to work remotely and so they've moved to Gotham to do so. The kids came along/are visiting.

Jack and/or Maddie were hired for temporary work in Gotham and decided to bring the kids along.

One family member was taken to Arkham Asylum. They moved to Gotham to be closer.

Jazz went to Gotham for college. Danny is visiting.

Danny is sent to Gotham/Arkham for specialized health reasons.

Jack and Maddie have gotten in contact with a specialist that lives in Gotham and are visiting for work-related reasons.

They are on vacation in Gotham and brought the kids along. Danny and Jazz have been let off the leash to go where they want while Jack and Maddie do touristy stuff.

Visiting family/family friends living in Gotham.

They were passing through but are now unable to leave. (Bonus points if it's a No Man's Land situation.)

They were passing through, but were robbed. Jack and Maddie are dealing with the robbery stuff where Danny is off somewhere else.

They were just passing through, but Maddie and Jack got SEVERELY distracted by something and have run off to who knows where!

They are traveling with Vlad and expected Vlad to take care of and watch the kids!

Danny was abducted to Gotham.

Danny accidently ended up in Gotham somehow.

Danny somehow got transported/teleported to Gotham.

Doing an educational trip/apprenticeship/internship over in Gotham.

Danny ran away impulsively.

Some villain threatened Danny's family and forced him to run away from home.

Danny has revealed his secret to his parents, and while they might worry about Danny being a vigilante, believe in and trust Danny to do the right thing and allow him to do what he feels that he must to protect people.

The same as above, but Vlad also came out and is supervising.

They died.

I cannot understate the sheer JUICY storytelling potential that you can have by killing Jack and Maddie off! We already know how it might effect people and events from what we see in The Ultimate Enemy, but there really is limitless potential in terms of ways to twist, turn, and play with things to have different outcomes! Additionally, Jack and Maddie being genuinely good parents that die protecting Danny and Jazz offers lots of ways for Bruce to relate to Danny and Jazz! (He decided to become Batman so that no one would have to face what he did ever again... And he failed...) And the way that they die can offer some lovely different flavors of angst, coping mechanisms, motovations, and learning to deal with their loss. So here are some ideas for how to kill them off!

The universe exploded again, and when it was put back together, Jack and Maddie ceased to exist in current canon continuity. (This happens more often than you'd think.)

Vlad Wins.

They were killed in an apocalypse-level event.

They were killed in the crossfire of some superhero/supervillain fight.

They were taken by some villain. They were killed before the heroes could arrive.

They were killed in a random act of violence/crime. (Much like Batman's backstory. Do this to gain extra points from Bruce.)

Died in prison/after joining the Suicide Squad.

Gang violence.

Any of the previous but Gotham is just THAT dangerous!

Same as any gassing or supervillain plan, but they died instead of being missing or in medical care.

Got transported to a place where they died very far away from home.

They just died suddenly or because of an accident. It happens sometimes.

Things to note

Believe it or not, but your parents can still be in your life AND you can join the Batfamily AT THE SAME TIME! :D

Examples:

Barbra Gordon is very much in the Batfamily and both of her parents are alive and well. She's a very important part of the family, and in the comics, it is not uncommon to see her calling up her dad and talking to him! They'll even call each other if they need help with something. This does not take away from the fatherly role Bruce often has in her life. (She can have 2 dads and good for her for that!)

When Tim initially became Robin, his parents were alive and well. They would later die because comic writers are just like that, but being an orphan without loving parents in your life is not a prerequisite to being Robin.

Duke's parents are also alive! They are under the effects of Joker toxin, but they are alive, and if they ever find a cure for it, I imagine that they would be more than happy to have Duke back in their lives!

Terry from Batman Beyond is not an orphan and was taken under Bruce's wing to be the next Batman! Terry is even going to inherit a fair amount of Bruce's wealth for deciding to take on the responsibility of being Batman. But while his dad did die, his mom is still alive and well over the course of the series! And he has a little brother too! Terry may still be a teenager, but he is a bit of a breadwinner for his household while also still being an important part of Bruce's family. (He is often someone who helps Bruce take care of himself.)

But if the story you truly want to explore requires being adopted specifically... Well... You don't have to be a kid to be adopted! Jack and Maddie can still raise Danny and Jazz into adults and Bruce is able to adopt them later if he wants, once they have been well and established in his family! Hell, you don't even have to wait! As long as Bruce asks permission from Jack and Maddie, they can be alive AND he can adopt Danny! There is more than one way to be in a family, you know! And sometimes it takes a village! And really, would Jack and Maddie really object to Danny being adopted by billionaire Bruce Wayne, especially if Danny really is enjoying his time being a part of his family and if Bruce has been an absolutely lovely person to them whenever he visits?

So I hope that you're able to take some inspiration from all of this for your own stories! If you need some elaboration on what I mean with some of these, or want to ask who could be responsible for some of these and how, feel free to drop on by and send me an ask! I would be more than happy to go into some more detail about these! Happy writing!

#dpxdc #dc x dp #dp x dc crossover #danny phantom #jack fenton #maddie fenton #dp x dc au

[five-rivers]

Funeral

“I’m sorry,” said Danny, speaking to the headstone in lieu of anything else to talk to.  He certainly wasn’t going to speak to the empty and expectant grave a few feet away.  “I wanted to wait.  I want to wait.  It’s just–”  He cut himself off, curling his hands into fists.  “There are so many things I haven’t seen, haven’t done.  Jazz got married, you know?  She’s pregnant.  If I was– I could have–”

He fell silent and adjusted the collar of his overcoat, trying to keep the frigid Ghost Zone wind away from his currently human neck.  

“Sam and Tucker are thinking about getting married, now that we’ve all graduated,” he said softly.  “I would have liked to see that, too.  And have a career.  Travel.  I know you wanted to do that, too.  But–”  

He broke off as his voice pitched weirdly, too high, too loud.  Sparks jumped off his fists as his emotions rose.  He flickered in and out of sight and tangibility, and his skin started to–

With an effort, he wrenched himself back together.  

“I’m sorry,” he said again.  “This is why I have to go.  I’m too unstable, and it isn’t like you.  I’m not just a danger to myself.”

(A premonition: Disturbed soil, a hand reaching out, a solid body… but there was nothing there now.  The ground was troubled only by slowly growing grass.)

He turned away from Dani’s grave and walked back to the mortuary shrine.  

The wind kicked up again.  There was ice in it.  

A motto was carved above the threshold of the shrine.  It read, LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD.  Appropriate.  No one fully living would be here tonight.  Sam, Tucker, and Jazz had all wanted to be, just like they had all wanted to be there for Dani, but there were rules about this kind of thing, old rules, and–

Ice feathered out from under his feet.  And it wouldn’t be safe for them.  

The mortuary shrine was cozy on the inside, not at all like a morgue, or an embalmer’s studio.  There were some similarities, overlaps in function, but the shrine was not organized with decaying fleshy bodies in mind.  The central altar, for example, was high off the ground, for ease of access by the celebrants, but it was soft, bed-like, for the sake of the one who’d lie there.  The other altars were filled with other things, like candles, foods, oils and wines, salt, cloth, books, and strange implements Danny couldn’t name.  All things needed for a burial.  

There was other furniture, too, and the associated accouterments.  Elegant ghost lanterns and a fireplace, burning with cold fire.  Lovely chairs and small tables carved from bright wood.  Plush footstools.  Tapestries and curtains, softening the stone walls.  

Three ghosts waited for him there, the proper number for a rite like this.  Frostbite, his horns only inches from the ceiling.  Pandora, who had taken a smaller form for the occasion.  Clockwork, who looked much the same as he always did, except that he wasn’t changing forms, instead wearing a guise of solid middle age.  

(Danny still had to look up at all of them.  He'd managed to catch up to Jazz, but he'd never reached his father's height.)

“You are ready,” said Clockwork.  

It wasn’t really a question, didn't necessarily call for a response, but Danny understood.  This was his last chance to back out without any more consequences than the ones he was currently experiencing.  

But those consequences were bad enough.  He shuddered as intangibility and invisibility rippled through him again, and he just barely kept a grip on his more destructive powers.  

“Yes,” said Danny.  He looked around the shrine, nervous.  He hadn't been here when Dani did this. He didn't know what came next.  Not in any detail.  “Should I change?”

“No,” said Pandora.  “Not unless you feel the need to.  The ritual will be a guide, as it was for your younger sister.”

“Then we shall begin,” said Clockwork.  

Danny nodded.  

Frostbite came forward fist, and leaned all the way down to kiss Danny’s forehead.  “You are dead, Great One, and we will remember you.”

He stepped back, and Pandora took his place.  “You are dead, little warrior, and we will send you on with honor.”  She pressed a kiss to his forehead as well.  

Then, Clockwork came up.  He looked down at Danny for longer than the other two.  “You are dead, Daniel, and the time comes for all the dead to be laid to rest.”

When Clockwork’s lips brushed against Danny’s forehead, he felt the first strands of the ritual wrap around him like silk.  Still thin and tenuous enough that he could break free, but not without damage to both the weaving and himself.  

Frostbite, meanwhile, had turned to one of the lesser altars.  There was a small teapot chilling there, above a braiser of cold fire.  Frostbite poured its contents into a large mug, then added three scoops of shimmery white powder, each from a different small pot, before stirring three times.  

He held the mug out to Danny.  “For your nerves.”

“Is this drugged?” asked Danny, taking the mug.  He kept his tone light.  Considering the parts of this Danny knew were going to happen, that was really the least of his worries.  

“Drugged and poisoned,” said Frostbite.  “We did research into the best way to ritually account for your continued life.  This is it.”

If Danny was younger, he’d ask if it was going to kill him.  He knew better, now, about how durable half-ghosts were.  Memories of long-ago history lessons, of trivia, of drugged drinks and gentle, honored deaths on cold mountains ghosted through Danny’s mind.  But those were children.  

He raised the mug to his lips and took a drink.  It tasted of chocolate, cream, and a bewildering array of spices and herbs, from capsaicin to vanilla to rosemary.  There was also a bitter undertaste, and Danny would have pulled away instinctively, but as soon as he’d started the reflexive motion, Frostbite put a friendly but firm hand on the back of his head, and another on the bottom of the mug, keeping it tilted back.  

(A premonition: Other hands hovered nearby, ready to assist if Danny resisted.  He could feel them.  One over his nose, another stroking his throat, taking advantage of the remaining reflexes of his human body.  But they weren’t there.  Not yet.)

The rites, now started, would not be so easily refused.  

Danny drank deeply, finding a strange sort of enjoyment in the extended physical contact.  He’d been avoiding touch ever since a nasty scare with his ice powers and Sam’s skin.  There had been close calls before that, too, with his newer, more esoteric powers, but until then…

Frostbite tilted Danny’s head all the way back, ensuring the last few drops of the drink fell past Danny’s lips, then pulled the mug away.  Danny licked his teeth and lips, and swallowed one more time.  He didn’t feel anything yet.  

“What next?” he asked, wincing at the edge of power behind the question.  He should probably just.  Not talk.  Especially not with drugs in his system.  

“After a death, the first step is to clean and prepare the body,” said Pandora.  

Of course.  Danny nodded.  The mortuary shrine… wobbled.  

Frostbite swept Danny up into his arms - which would have been more embarrassing if Frostbite wasn’t huge - and carried him to one of the lesser altars.  It was smooth-surfaced and the neighboring, even smaller altars had bars, bottles, jars, basins of water, and washcloths, all arranged to stand at precise angles from one another.  He was laid down on the altar, and Frostbite and Clockwork started to undress him.  

At first, Danny tried to help, peeling out of his overcoat and sweater quickly.  But then, his movements seemed to… blur.  His mind was still sharp, as far as he could tell, but his limbs were becoming clumsy, slow.  

It was Clockwork who untied his boots, and Frostbite who unbuttoned Danny’s shirt.  By the time they got to his underthings, it felt like there was a barrier between him and his body.  Not anything solid, he could still move, still react, but something muffling, slowing.  Frostbite laid him down so that he was flat on his back on the lesser altar.  Clockwork started going through Danny’s hand with a wet, lightly perfumed, comb.  Frostbite, meanwhile, took out a set of dentists tools and eased Danny’s jaw open with one claw.  

Across the room, at the main altar, Pandora laid layer after layer of cloth.  Some of them were patterned, others plain.  Some were thick with embroidery, others were gossamer thin.  Some were edged with beads or woven with gold, others looked tattered, as if they’d been previously used for something else, the scrupulously cleaned.  

Clockwork, done with Danny’s hair for the moment, moved on to his feet.  It was hard to describe the intimacy of being cleaned like this by someone else.  By someone he knew.  He wasn’t a patient, Clockwork wasn’t a nurse.  He wasn’t an infant, and Clockwork wasn’t his parent.  But this was an act of care and love, offered without judgment.  It was also embarrassingly efficient and thorough.  When a body was cleaned, prepared for internment, it wasn't just the normal surfaces that were cleaned, but areas generally considered private.  

As Clockwork moved upwards, the powers that churned along the surface of Danny’s skin quieted.  They did not go silent - they never did, these days - but they were no longer so maddeningly active.  

Finished with Danny's mouth (which now felt much more clean than it ever did after the dentist's) Frostbite moved on to his nails, clipping and cleaning them, smoothing rough edges and cuticles.  Danny tried to be helpful with this, to at least hold his hands in the right way, but the effects of the drugs were progressing.  His movements were slowing, growing smaller.  

He should be panicking.  The loss of control, at least, should bother him, given the constant vigilance his rapidly growing powerset required.  But, as a human, his emotions were still principally dependent on physical systems and chemical reactions.  His heartbeat was slow, and growing slower.  

They turned him over to work on his back, and Danny half-dozed, eyes barely open, as they diligently scrubbed him clean.  

Then, he was on his back again, anointed with oils and perfumes, smokes and incense wafted over him.  Something wet drew a line from his lips to his groin.  

Danny's heart twitched to a stop. 

Blue-white rings flared from his core in an instant, painfully arresting the moment of death, then swept out to Danny's extremities.  He flinched, twisting on the table, onto his side, suddenly able to move again.  Everything was too bright, too loud, too close, too present.  He covered his face with his arms.

The panic he’d missed earlier was in full force now, shining bright and pure and crystalline in the way only ghostly emotions could.  He was in danger.  He was dangerous.  He could feel his powers coiling, ready to strike, whether it be his will or against it.  He fought them, and paid the price, bones and skin going soft, their fine, detailed structures destabilizing, running like wax, like the flesh of a caterpillar in a cocoon.  

A hand scooped through his sticky, melting flesh and pressed a cool, hard, surface to his lips.  He drank.  It was the same thing Frostbite had given him before, but without the bitterness.  With every gulp, the ritual spun onwards, strands thickening, multiplying.  By the time he was finished drinking, his skin was sticky and damp, but solid again underneath that.  

“No poison this time?” he asked.

“Just because you cannot taste it does not mean it isn’t there,” said Frostbite.  “Do you know what separates a medicine from a poison?”

“Dosage?” hazarded Danny.  Jazz was an MD.  He’d picked up a few things.

All three of the older ghosts chuckled.  Frostbite went as far as to ruffle his hair.

“He does learn,” said Clockwork, unzipping Danny’s jumpsuit (it had grown with him) and gently pushing aside Danny’s hands when he moved to help.  

Whatever was in the second drink, if there was anything at all, it didn’t act nearly as quickly as the first.  He could feel so much more, his sense of touch unblunted.  It made the process of Frostbite, Clockwork, and Pandora undressing him all that much more, especially when they chided him (ever so gently) for trying to help them, for doing anything but lying there like a corpse.  

(Deja vu: Rituals as old as humanity, reaching back, reaching forward.  The preparation of the dead, laying them to rest.  The duty of the family, to clean and prepare, to stand watch, sit vigil, to March the wake, to mourn, to celebrate.  The dead did not move to help.  They did not move at all.)

They washed the spaces between his toes and fingers, his teeth, the backs of his eyelids, the insides of his ears, every nook and cranny they had cleaned when he was in human form was cleaned again.  The stickiness from his earlier destabilization was wiped away, replaced with a dry, fresh feeling.  Invisibility and intangibility stopped wisping across his skin, too tightly bound by the ritual to be used even by accident.  

The perfumes they used now were different, they tickled at his brain and core both, summoning feelings of nostalgia, regret, longing, grief, quiet, peace.  They traced symbols in them, in languages Danny didn’t know but could feel the meanings of, of linear past and spreading future, of the pinpoint present, of decay and rot, of the loosening of muscles, of the blurring of boundaries, of reconstruction, of change, of stability, of things remade, of things caught in time forever.  

Frostbite picked him up and brought him to the main altar.  It was soft, piled high with cloth.  They felt cool and silky on Danny’s bare skin and there was a pillow under his head.  Absently, he ran his palm back and forth across the top cloth.  Or, no, not quite the top one.  The main one he was touching was large, large enough to hang off the altar and pool on the ground, but there was a smaller strip of embroidered cloth, almost like a long belt or ribbon, at the height of his biceps.  

There was, he noted, another such ribbon under his ankles, and another under his knees.  He wondered what they were for.  

He didn’t have to wonder for long.  Clockwork picked up the long ends of the ribbon and wound it around his ankles in a complicated fashion.  The twists and turns showed off the intricacy of the abstract embroidery.  He finished it off with a knot that disappeared under the rest of the ribbon.  

The strings of the ritual gathered faster, wound thicker, tighter, with a physical anchor.  

Clockwork moved on to the ribbon at Danny’s ankles.  The weaving was slightly different, but had the same effect. 

He expected the one under his arms to go the same way.  But instead Pandora, Frostbite, and Clockwork gathered flowers from another altar.  They were all black and white, so it took Danny a moment to recognize them.  Lilies, roses, marigolds, carnations, asphodel, nettle, nightshade, poppies, lycoris.  Flowers for death, for funerals, for mourning.  

Clockwork wrapped Danny’s hands around the bouquet, and pressed the ring finger of his left hand against a rose thorn.  A drop of blood welled up.  Blood, not ectoplasm.  Danny stared, surprised.  But he didn’t get to stare long.  Clockwork produced another ribbon, and wrapped it around the flowers and Danny’s wrists.  

Then, he picked up the other ribbon under Danny and tied it around his upper arms and elbows before tucking the ends into the ribbon around Danny’s wrists.  

It all felt very secure.  

Under normal circumstances, Danny would have been able to escape such flimsy restraints in a hummingbird’s heartbeat.  But it wasn’t just the ribbons that held him.  He could still escape, yes, but it would take a great deal of effort.  

He twitched his shoulder, just to check that he could.  The motion was slow, heavy, and smaller than he expected.  

Pandora put a stilling hand on his shoulder and held a coin up in front of his face.  It was large and silver, inscribed with symbols from languages both long dead and never alive.  Danny wondered if they had made it just for this occasion.  

“A last chance,” said Pandora.

His last chance to back out, is what she meant.  To say something.  He could do it.  He could stop the ritual and suffer the consequences.  He could be a danger to everyone around him for the rest of his existence, however long or short that was.  

He gave Pandora the tiniest shake of his head.  She smiled and pressed the coin against his lips.  He opened his mouth, just enough to take the coin.  It fit comfortably on his tongue, in between his teeth but not jostling against them.  If it wasn’t custom made and sized, it might as well have been.  It tasted metallic and sweet, as if, given enough time, it would dissolve on his tongue. 

Pandora took out one more embroidered ribbon and wrapped it around his jaw and the top of his head, holding his mouth closed.  There was enough tension in the ribbon to press, but not enough for its edges to dig into tender flesh.  Taken together, the coin and ribbon made an effective gag.  

His wail was now bound just as effectively as his intangibility and invisibility, as effectively as his tongue and voice.  For the first time since the incompatibility between his powers and his body became clear, the stress of keeping his wail under control was lifted away.

(A possibility, unraveled: Danny standing at the center of a crater made with his own voice.  No, kneeling.  No, weeping, curled on the ground, head touching dirt and fractured concrete.  He knew those buildings, teetering on the edges of new cliffs.  He knew them.)

This was the right decision.  

The three older ghosts busied themselves at the other, smaller altars briefly, allowing Danny to collect himself and sink deeper into that sense of relaxation.  The wail wasn’t the only thing that had been taken off his shoulder.  All his other voice-based powers were similarly locked away, and he hadn’t even noticed losing his shapeshifting, but he couldn’t touch that, either.  

When Pandora stepped back into his field of view, she was holding a mask.  A death mask, more specifically, styled after Danny’s own face.  Frostbite, next to her, held a small, square cloth, like a handkerchief and a small bottle.  

Clockwork reached out and touched Danny’s face, briefly tracing each of his features.  His lips, his nose, his eyebrows.  He slid his fingers down, pressing Danny’s eyelids closed.  The motion was gentle, but held a strange sort of finality.  

Danny found that he could not open his eyes.  

Fabric, soft and smooth, whisper thin, covered his face and was adjusted, straightened.  Something fragrant dampened it from above, near his nose.  More perfume.  He inhaled.  Exhaled.  Stopped.  

Stopped.  

Stopped.

Before he could have any more thoughts about not being able to breathe, the death mask was pressed into place.  The weight of it pressed the thin shroud over his face snugly into his skin.  It made his other limitations - his eyes, his breath, his general immobility - more acceptable, somehow. 

Other talismans were placed on his skin or tucked into the ribbons.  Some, he could identify by touch.  The ticklish barbs of a feather.  The cold roundness of another, smaller coin.  The familiarity of his childhood stuffed bear.  Others, his powers identified for him.  The sparkling wonder of a lunar meteorite.  The shiver of a carved piece of ghost ice.  The thrumming power and glory of a vial of ectoplasm shed by a god Danny had fought and defeated.  He hadn’t known they’d kept that.  

But other things were too strange to identify by touch alone.  He could make guesses.  Maybe that was a flower petal, maybe this other thing was a coil of string, and while he was sure that last was paper, he couldn’t say what was on it.  

With every token placed, another one of his powers was called up and locked away, like bound by like.  His awareness of the stars winking out as the meteorite was placed was sad.  The powers he’d ‘earned’ from that god being placed firmly out of his reach, however, was only a relief.

He was verging on helplessness, now.  Helpless, but unburdened.  

Clockwork started to speak.  None of the words were recognizable, but Danny knew the feeling of a prayer.  This one was old.  Old old.  Old even by the standards of ancient ghosts.  They hummed briefly in his bones before settling in them like lead weights.  Or golden ones.  

The edges of the sheet he was lying on were lifted up and folded over him, then tucked under him.  Wound around him.  It was a winding sheet.  Of course.  Of course.  The next cloth, too, was pulled up and over him, the motion a little more brisk now that the tokens were held in place by the first sheet.  Then, the next.  Cerecloth and cerements.  

Danny twitched a little, at first, at certain unexpected touches, but when the third wrapping added  its comforting, soothing pressure he was reduced (or, perhaps, elevated) to a state of perfect limpness.  

They added more tokens between the third layer and the fourth, but Danny couldn’t even begin to guess what they were.  They were too muffled by layers of silk - those layers being both the literal layers of cloth and the figurative layers of the ritual.  

Clockwork’s prayers were getting harder to hear, but Danny felt like he could recognize some of them, now.  Snippets of Akkadian, Egyptian, Greek, Latin, a word or two off the Oracle Bones.  Prayers for the dead, for their revenge and their remembrance, for their reverence and their reward, for their repose and their return.  

He was wrapped again and again, until the pressure, the gentle rocking motion necessary to wrap him, and the nearly unintelligible rhythm of Clockwork’s prayers threatened to lull him to sleep.  

He could hear snatches of Esperanto, now, and English.  

“... rest, and rest in peace… until waking… to hope… blessing in memory…”

Some parts of it felt familiar.  Others were strange, so strange, but he was bound so securely, now, that he almost felt as if he was floating.  

“... iron and wood, we entrust this most precious… an embrace… the hallowed graves… deliver and defend…”

No, he was floating, sort of.  He’d been lifted up, sheets and all, and now he was being moved sideways.  Sideways, and now down, down, into a snug cavity.  Was he bordered by flowers?  Pillows?  Both?  He couldn’t tell.  

“... into silk… like dust by sunlight into gold… changed… after a long day, to sleep…”

A faint weight draped over him, a final sheet covering him.  He felt, with a strange sense that lay deeper than instinct, further down and closer to his heart and soul, that Pandora, Frostbite, and Clockwork had drawn closer, that they were kneeling beside his casket or coffin, heads bowed.  

“Now we lay thee down to sleep,” whispered Clockwork, words startlingly clear despite his voice being harder to hear than ever, “we pray thy grave thy soul to keep, until thou choose the form thou take, and the hour thou shall wake.”

“And should thou never wake,” whispered - someone.  It was getting harder to tell the muffled voices apart.  “We shall mourn for thy sake.”

Very slowly, the force pushing in and down on Danny increased, deliciously.  It was almost enough.  

(Danny didn’t know where that thought had come from.)

A loud thump shuddered through Danny.  Another.  They were nailing him in.  Another restraint.  Another limitation.  Another step towards the cumulation of the ritual.  Almost.  Almost.  

Thirteen nails sealed Danny into the coffin.  

(He had been snug before.  Now, he wasn’t sure he could have moved even if the ritual hadn’t removed the ability from him.)

(All his powers were bound.  There was no more sense of responsibility keeping him awake.  His body was cocooned in every way possible.  There was no more fear about destabilizing and melting.  None of his choices would change what would happen to him next.  Only a curiosity about what it would feel like to be buried kept him from succumbing to his soul-deep exhaustion then and there.)

Vaguely, ever-so-vaguely, Danny could feel his coffin lifted, moved.  He knew where he was going.  Out of the mortuary shrine, across the lawn, down the rows and rows of graves, and to one grave in particular.  He’d wanted to be buried next to family, and Dani was his only family available.  

They stopped.  He was lowered.  Down.  Down.  Stopped again.  

A chill stole over Danny, like the cool side of a pillow, but all over his body, as if it meant to draw out the last of the warmth of life from his ectoplasm.  Restful.  

The dirt came down in sifted shovelfuls, like rain on a roof, like distant thunder.  And– he did have more powers, either so subtle he didn’t notice them as such or as of yet undiscovered.  These were buried as thoroughly as the others.  

Up and up the dirt piled, until he could barely feel it as it came down.  Until all that was left was the weighty, solid thump of a headstone coming down.  

Then there was nothing.  Nothing but silence, stillness, silk… and sleep.

.

Danny woke with the comfortable confusion of someone who had gotten their blanket wrapped around them unevenly while they slept.  Slow, unhurried, well-rested, but just slightly less cozy than expected.  

He shifted, mumbling and rolling over.  No, that wasn’t any good.  He made a face.  There was something on his face.  He reached up to wipe it off, and the sheets wrapped around him tore like cobwebs.  

That roused him further.  This… he did not think this was his bed.  It was his, but not his bed.

He wiped something thin and crackly off his face and inhaled deeply.  Dust.  Salt.  Dust, salt, and something like decay, but sharper, fresher, cleaner.  

He breathed, remembering.  His mouth tasted like silver and sugar.  His hands quested outward, seeking, seeking, until he found the edges of the space he was in.  

This was his grave.  His coffin.  

It was bigger than he’d imagined.

His eyes opened to a darkness relieved only by his own faint glow.  The many sheets he had been wrapped in had been reduced to fragile scraps, except a very few that remained stubbornly wrapped around his shoulders.  His mask was a thin shell.  The flowers were desiccated, colorless strands and flakes.  The pillows were flat and torn, showing the wooden sides of the coffin in places.  The only token he could see and identify was the plush and pristine form of Neil Bearstrong.  He gathered the toy close, pressing him against his chest.  

He’d made it.  He was awake, aware, and apparently stable, when before he’d been bracing himself for death.  He breathed out, breathed in.  His breath caught in his throat, and he giggled.  

Did that mean Dani had made it, too?

He rolled onto his back and put a hand against the lid of the coffin.  It looked strange there.  Disproportionate.  But of course it did.  His body had just finished reformatting itself into a stable form.  Frostbite had told him that he’d probably look different, maybe even radically different.  Clockwork had even confirmed that medical opinion, from a temporal perspective.

Positives: his hand was a recognizably human hand.  He was awake.  

He didn’t dare turn human - if he even could - until he had Frostbite and the others look him over.  He wouldn’t be able to phase through the Ghost Zone’s soil.  Teleportation was inadvisable while he was this disoriented.  So were portals.  And most powers, really. 

He’d have to dig his way out.  

Bracing himself, making sure his limbs were free of restraint, he drew back his fist to punch the lid.  The dirt would come in fast, and he wasn’t sure how deep he was.  Six feet was traditional, of course, but it was also traditional for the dead to stay that way.  So.  

The lid flew upward under the force of his strike, all the dirt overhead bending away.  He grabbed the edges of the hole and pulled down, widening it enough for him to claw his way out without warping his body.  He… wasn’t quite ready for that, after the whole melting thing.  

He burrowed upward, feeling like something between a worm and a badger, batting away dirt, crawling, squirming, reaching upward.  Despite his best efforts, some of the winding sheets came with him, clinging, slowing his passage.  Still, his hand hit free air.  Grass tickled at his fingers.  He set his palm down on the ground, and pulled.  

The dirt did not want to let him go.  It pulled back, its embrace offering an eternal peace, but Danny was firm, eager to go, to see, to live.  He pushed himself up, and out, then lay, panting, on the ground.  

That had been… more tiring than expected, actually.  

Someone propped him up, large hands bringing him into a sitting position.  “Daniel,” said Clockwork.  A loose and oddly cut robe was wrapped around him.  

“Mm,” said Danny, his voice cracking.  

A cup was raised to his lips.  He drank greedily, the sweet, floral liquid soothing his dry throat.  

“Shall we get you cleaned up?” asked Pandora, another hand, laid on the center of his back.  

“Can you walk?” asked Frostbite.  “Or fly?”

“Yes,” said Danny, hoarsely.  He reached up to put his hand on Clockwork’s shoulder.  It took some to get it there.  It was further away than he’d thought.  

He was smaller than he had been.  Not entirely unexpected.  Returning to one’s appearance at death was, apparently, one of the more common ways for this to go.  But had he really been this small at fourteen?

They did not go to the mortuary shrine, but made their uncertain way to the other shrine in the graveyard: the revival shrine.  The structure was much the same inside and outside, but it had only one altar.  The rest of the space was reserved for a bath, bed, and mirrors.  

Pandora guided him to a chair in front of one of the mirrors.  Danny stared.  He wasn’t much to look at right now, but what he could see of his body… 

It hadn’t been a winding sheet dragging at him as he’d crawled through the dirt.  It had been wings.  He shrugged the loose robe off his shoulders to see them better.  They were patterned with white and black, star and moon shapes on a dark background. He had antennae.  Long, soft, feathery looking things curving up and back from his temples.  

Clockwork brought a damp cloth to his face and, slowly, began to clean away the dirt.  

“Surprised?” asked Clockwork.  

“Are you?” 

Clockwork chuckled.  

“Did Dani– Is Dani–?”

“She woke seventeen years ago,” said Clockwork.  “She is quite smug about technically being older than you in terms of lived experience.”

“She would be,” said Danny.  

He pulled away from Clockwork’s ministrations to get another look at the mirror.  He had about the same proportions he did when he was a teenager, and his hair was as white as it ever was in ghost form, but it sparkled, as if someone had dusted it with silver glitter.  His antennae matched the color pretty well, too.  Star-shaped freckles littered his cheeks, and when he tilted his head this way and that…  There was an effect like a hologram, depending on the light, of a dark or glimmering domino mask around his eyes.  

And, beneath that, his basic features, the structures of his bones…  They looked about the same as they had when he was young.  Except… softer, somehow.  More neutral.  The change, as subtle as it was, gave him a genderless mien.

(The idea of that trend continuing elsewhere on his body didn’t bother him nearly as much as he would have expected before this.)

He wondered what he would look like in human form.  But… later.  Later.  

For now, Pandora was running a tiny brush though the delicate hairs of his antennae, removing irritating bits of soil and grass.  

“In fact,” said Pandora, “I would wager that she will be smug about physically appearing older than you.”

“She looks older than me, too?” asked Danny.  “That’s hardly fair.”

“That is the way of things, I’m afraid.  She hadn’t truly died until she was buried.”  

“But she’s okay?”

“She’s doing very well, last I saw her,” said Frostbite.

“And Jazz?  Sam and Tucker?”

“All fine,” said Clockwork.  “They visit you frequently.”

Pandora did something complicated with telekinesis that pulled most of the dirt from Danny’s skin and left him feeling distinctly fluffed.  The fuzz along the bases and upper edges of his wings stood on end.  He shook himself all over, then plucked the washcloth from Clockwork’s hands so he could clean behind his ears and in-between his toes.  

“Clothes?” asked Clockwork.  

“Cut for wings?” challenged Danny.  

“Of course.”

#danny phantom #dannymay #dannymay 2024 #dannymay 2024 day 21: funeral

[dmwrites]

Gem wasn’t sure how she’d been roped into this, but she was standing outside, at night, with a flashlight and a hoodie from Pearl over her dress. Grian, Scar, and Impulse were gathered around a map as she approached the bridge between Grian and Mumbo’s bases.

“Ah, there’s our other G!” Grian said, turning when he heard her footsteps and waving Gem over.

“Guys, what on earth are we doing? Old houses and buildings are one thing, but Hermitcraft? Nothing here was built over two years ago! What kind of ghosts could you possibly think exist here?”

“I don’t know, but there is some serious evidence that there is a ghost on this server.” Impulse said seriously. “We have freezing temperatures in some places-”

“What, like on top of mountains? Or in ice biomes?” Gem scoffed.

Impulse gave her a withering look and continued. “Scar swears he’s seen ghost orbs-”

“I saw them with my own two eyes!” Scar said.

“I thought you could only see them through cameras?” Gem asked.

“And, most importantly, we have a witness.” Impulse said proudly.

“A witness?” Gem asked.

“With bottled proof of this ghost’s existence.” Impulse continued proudly.

“If this witness has actual, real proof that ghosts exist, this could be groundbreaking for the world of ghost hunting.” Grian said, zipping up his backpack. “Okay, let’s go! Lead the way to the witness, Impulse!”

——

The second team GIGS landed in the hole in the ground, Grian made his thoughts known.

“Zedaph is our ghost witness? Impulse, please, you’re supposed to be the brains here. It’s not that I don’t like Zed, but he’s kind of…”

“How do we know he hasn’t been sniffing his test tubes as a zedvancement and hallucinated this all up?” Scar finished the sentence for him.

“Just wait and see.” Impulse replied.

Zedaph came out of a side tunnel moments later, holding a lantern in one hand and a small jar of fluorescent green liquid in the other. He was wearing a frankly horrifying dress (or just a really long shirt) that consisted of stitched-together clothing of all the other hermits.

“Hello, hello!” Zed called to them. “If it’s ghosts you’re looking for, I’ve got the spooks!”

“Zed, what on earth are you wearing?” Gem asked.

“Oh, this is my Halloween costume! I’m all the hermits, in a horrible amalgamation of cloth!”

“Well, he’s got the horrible part down pat.” Grian muttered to Scar.

Zed didn’t seem to hear the comment, as he looked at the four ghost hunters, counting them two times over.

“My friends, aren’t you missing someone?” Zed asked. “Where is the ‘S’ in GIGGS?”

“Skizz isn’t whitelisted on this server, duh.” Scar replied.

Zed grinned, and pulled a square-shaped item from his inventory. “Well, lucky for you, I have him right here on this i-pa- hi- hi-pad. A hi-pad, yes, that’s what this is.”

“Hi there, friends! Who’s ready to hunt some Hermitcraft ghost ass!” Skizz exclaimed from the screen, waving at his friends.

“Skizz!” Grian, Gem, and Scar exclaimed.

“Now that you’ve all assembled, I can tell you my spooky tale.” Zedaph said mysteriously, handing the hi-pad to Impulse. He pulled a campfire out of his inventory and set it down on the ground between them. “It was a dark and stormy night. I was up late, finishing up wiring my newest zedvancement trophy display. I came out to stand right in this very spot, on this ledge, looking over my hole, when something flew past my face!”

Gem gasped as Zed leapt forward, wiggling his fingers at his audience. Grian rolled his eyes. Scar was looking at the dangling animals, clearly not paying attention.

“It was glowing green, and this thing fell directly into the water feature around my bed!” Zed continued, pointing down into the hole, where his bed was. Around the bed were small streams of water, clearly so Zed wouldn’t take fall damage getting down. “I, of course, scrambled to get a lead, thinking it must be dangled at once.”

“I don’t like that your first thought when seeing anything is ‘can I wrap it up in rope and dangle it’, Zed. I would hate to psychoanalyze you.” Grian said.

“But when I got down there,” Zed continued, still acting like he didn’t hear Grian’s comments, “the lead went right through it! It was translucent, clearly a ghost! A green ghost of a man covered in chains! He gave me such a fright, speaking to me with a frankly grating American accent about pinball machines and other odd things. And then he left, floating up into the air and away! And all that was left behind was… this mysterious ghost substance.” Zed finished his story, holding out the bottle of glowing green liquid.

“Mysterious ghost substance?” Impulse asked.

Skizz gasped. “Dude, maybe that’s like the ghost’s sweat, or his p-”

Impulse muted him before he could finish.

“Scar, I dare you to drink that.” Grian said, pointing at the glass.

“Okay.” Scar said, and took the glass from Zed’s hand, popped the cork, and downed the whole thing in one gulp.

“SCAR!” Grian, Impulse, Gem, and Zed cried.

“Grian, why did you dare him to drink it?” Gem asked, smacking Grian’s arm.

“I didn’t think he actually would do it!” Grian cried.

“Don’t lie, you knew he would.” Impulse said, shaking his head. “Oh, sorry Skizz, did you want to say something?” He unmuted Skizz again.

“Is Scar okay?” Skizz cried. “And also, what does it taste like?”

They all looked to Scar, who was smacking his lips thoughtfully. He looked up at all of them. “Why is everyone looking at me?” He asked.

“You just drank ghost bath water, dude.” Skizz said.

“Ohh…” Scar said, looking at the empty glass. “I zoned out, sorry. So this was the ghost evidence?”

“And you drank it, yeah.” Gem said.

“This tastes familiar. I know where the ghost is.” Scar said. “Follow me.”

He took off, leaving Gem and Grian to stare at each other in disbelief, then follow, followed by Impulse thanking Zed for his help before taking off too, holding Skizz on the hi-pad. The ghost-hunting group followed Scar all the way to the middle of the ocean, to a huge pinball machine that lit up the night sky. They landed on the top, looking around.

“Why are we at Joe Hills’ place?” Grian whispered.

“Because that’s where the ghost is.” Scar said, pointing down at a glowing green ghost on the pinball playfield, moving around, placing blocks, trailed by chains. “It’s the Beetlejoest, it’s what Joe Hills turns into sometimes. Bit of an odd guy, but he still bleeds if you use the right arrows.”

“Wow, a real ghost! On Hermitcraft!” Impulse exclaimed. “Let’s set up our ghost hunting equipment, get as much information as we can! Quick, someone grab the parabolic mic!”

“So are we just going to ignore the part where Scar knew what Joe Hills’ ghost tastes like?” Grian asked. “Was I the only one that heard that?”

#happy Halloween this is a mess but funny to me #team giggs #hc9 #beetlejoest

[immajustvibehere]

Are You Afraid of Ghosts, Arthur?

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x gn!Reader

summary: You get lost in the forest and Arthur walks you back to camp as you discuss each other's fears.

warning: fluff, slight angst (because fears, you know), fear & comfort

>>> Happy Halloween, basically =D

Masterlist

1700 words, 10 minutes reading time

"Who's there?", Arthur's voice echoed through the dense forest. He raised his lantern so the cone of light would reach the trees that grew next to the little path that travellers and wild animals had created over the course of years. The feeble light struggled to penetrate the thick veil of darkness and for a few moments, there was nothing to be heard besides the rustling of leaves nearby.

"A-Arthur?", your voice was shaky and merely a whimper, but Arthur immediately recognized it to be yours and called out your name. Slowly, a figure emerged from the darkness. Arthur had to dismount his horse and walk towards you, before the light of his lantern was enough to make out your features.

The tear-streaks on your face immediately worried him. You were pale and skittish. Arthur's initial thoughts were that you might be heard or escaped from some Murfrees.

"I thought...I thought I was done for", you whispered, another tear ran freely down your cheek.

"Yer safe. I got ya...", Arthur said and gently put his arm around you and led you to his horse. He fastened the lantern on his saddle before having a proper look at you. "Are you hurt?", he asked with gentle and caring voice.

You shook your head.

"Why are you out here?", Arthur required while getting out of his jacket, which he then caringly put around your shoulders. As he brushed your hands in the process, he found them eerily cold for such a warm night.

"I wanted to-", a sob interrupted you, "wanted to look for some herbs by the river. But I got lost...and then it got dark and-" You swallowed heavily.

"It's okay. We are not far from camp", Arthur explained, looking at you sympathetically. But you didn't answer. Instead, you looked down to your boots for a moment and remained silent, as if you were waiting for something to happen.

Then, all of a sudden, you said something which Arthur hadn't expected: "The trees are talking."

Arthur wasn't someone to be easily frightened, though the way you delivered the words had a slight shiver run down his spine.

"What?", he asked, just to make sure he understood correctly. All the while, he took the reins of his horse and started to lead it forward. It trotted slowly alongside you two.

"I heard the trees whisper earlier...", you said. You knew what you'd heard, and you were convinced of it. There was nobody around, only the forest, and it had surely whispered. The act alone of recalling the memory made you feel sick. But you weren't alone in the dark anymore, Arthur was right beside you.

"Probably just yer imagination. Also lot of wild animals around here...", Arthur commented in an attempt to calm you, again putting his hand on your back. But something didn't sit right with him either, because just a few nights ago, he could have sworn he had heard whispers in the forest. And he had been convinced he was hearing things because it was late and he was tired, in fact, he had forgotten all about it, but now that you've brought it up again...

"It sounded human", you persisted.

"Well", Arthur put his hand on his gun, "Last time I checked, humans aren't immune to bullets so if anything is out there scaring you, I'll shoot it."

"You can't shoot ghosts, Arthur", you said.

"They wouldn't do much harm anyways", he joked, assuming that you had also made a joke. But your face remained strangely stoic.

"Do you believe in ghosts?", you then proceeded to ask.

Ghosts? Arthur wasn't entirely sure, but that's not the answer you needed right now. So he sighed and said:

"No. Believe me, I have killed so many people that if ghosts existed, they'd have hunted me to hell already."

You looked at Arthur, at his sunken-in cheeks, his red eyes. You knew he was sick, even though he hadn't told you about it. In a way, he looked like a ghost. But he surely didn't feel like one, because the hand returned to your shoulder, and it was warm. And his smile was genuine and comforting, though the chill hadn't left your bones yet.

"It's the living ya should be scared of. It's they who hunt you down and seek revenge. Not a bunch of ghosts", Arthur elaborated.

"So is there nothing you're afraid of?"

Arthur thought for a while, before he answered in a monotonous voice.

"Dying…"

"You serious?", you asked incredulous. Arthur looked at you confusedly.

"My teeth are clattering because I got lost in the forest half a mile from camp and I'm moaning about ghosts. Sometimes I screech when a bug launches at me out of nowhere. A damn nightmare had me at the edge of my bed and you tell me you're afraid of dying? Couldn't you have said something like heights or, I don't know, bugs? Just to cheer me up?", you quipped, nervously giggling in hope Arthur wouldn't take offence.

"I-I guess...", Arthur stammered, "Back when we were in Rhodes there were some women marching for their right to vote or something... I thought they'd tear me apart if I said something wrong, that gave me a good fright."

He finally saw a slight smile on your face.

"Or when Miss Grimshaw asks me to do something but I forget…Bless her, but ever since she was young she'd start looking like a monster when she's angry."

You smiled up to him, "Thanks Arthur."

You continued to walk in silence. Every second that passed without conversation, the tension seemed to thicken. There was a pervasive sense of dread that hung in the air that made it impossible to ignore the unsettling feeling that creeped up in you. You both felt it, though neither of you wanted to address it.

The shadows seemed to grow longer and more menacing. Every rustling of leaves had you twitch and even Arthur tensed up when there was a sound that wasn't strictly what one should hear in a forest at night. You felt his fingers slightly dig into your shoulder when there was something awfully similar to a scream, far far in the distance.

Arthur was sort of glad when you broke the silence with a moan and declared: "I won't be able to sleep tonight, that's for sure."

"Then don't. Can offer ya some rounds of cards", Arthur suggested.

"You sure? You just returned from a day's long journey, wouldn't you need some rest?"

"I'm fine, ain't that tired yet anyways", which was a lie, but he figured he'd manage an hour or two of playing cards. Especially if it meant you'd feel better and calm down.

Back in camp, Arthur met you in his tent. He closed the flaps, something which he seldomly did, but he realized how skittish you were around the gaze of Micah's companions, and he understood. Arthur sat on his bed and you took a seat on a chair. Then you started to play.

He noticed that with time, you took longer to play your move, and after your third yawn, you realized that it wasn't polite to impose on him any longer.

"I'm sorry...maybe I should head to my...", you sighed. The thought of going to sleep, of lying alone with no protection from the forest, the whispers, the eyes of Micah's rats, it frightened you. You were afraid of the nightmares you'd surely get.

"Ya can sleep here, if ya want", Arthur offered. He stood up and got a spare bedroll.

"Really?", you asked in disbelief

"Sure. Can't promise the nightmares'll stay outside, but if it helps", Arthur shrugged.

"I-I mean...are you sure?", and when Arthur nodded, you said with a smile, "Thank you Arthur." You hugged him gently, which he reciprocated hesitantly. Quickly, you arranged a spot next to Arthur's cot, bedroll and blanket readily laid out. The fear of nightmares was quickly replaced by warm feeling of excitement. The fact that Arthur had sacrificed an hour of sleep to play cards with you had already sent some butterflies to your stomach, but that he allowed you to sleep in his tent...

It's safe to say that Arthur noticed the big grin on your face when you got under your blanket. He was half-recumbent on his bedroll, looking down at you with furrowed eyebrows.

"You won't scream all night when a ghost appears in yer dreams, will ya?", he asked sceptically.

"Depends", you grinned, "Would you let me sleep on your cot with you if I did?"

Arthur blinked in utter shock and surprise. How you could go from scared shitless and falling asleep to cheekily flirting was beyond him. But he realized quickly that he had lost advantage in the conversation when your question had him speechless for a few moments.

"I'm just kidding", you smiled gently, steering back in case this was an inappropriate time.

"If it shuts ya up, I probably would", Arthur finally answered. The corners of his lips tugged into a cheeky smile.

It was agreed that the lantern would stay on, though its light was dim, it calmed both of you that you were able to make out the shadows of the objects in the tent. If it hadn't been for the two lines of flirting you had just exchanged, which you were busy turning over in your head, you would have been asleep already.

"Thank you for today", you whispered, unsure if Arthur was asleep yet.

"'course. Nothing to thank me for", Arthur replied quietly.

"I'm sorry I can't do anything about your fear...", you said sombrely.

Arthur cleared his throat. He didn't know what to say to that. He hadn't expected you'd worry about it.

"Can I haunt ya?", Arthur asked, "When I'm a ghost, I mean..."

You chuckled: "Oh please. I insist."

"Now I'm kinda lookin' forward to it", Arthur answered and you heard how his lips curled into a smile. For a moment, he lifted his upper body, looking down at you. Then he let one of his hands dangle down, brushing your hand seemingly accidentally. You got the hint and took his hand, holding it gently until one of you was the first to fall asleep.

#arthur morgan x reader #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #arthur morgan fanfiction #red dead redemption community #rdr2 #rdr2 fanfiction #rdr #rdr fanfiction #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan x gn!reader

[blood-grove]

odd adjustments

prev <- part 2 -> part 3

adoptive!soap and ghost + adopted!reader

× pairing: soapghost

× summary: the now retired couple decides that there house is feeling a bit empty besides there two cats and german shepard.

× tws: medication, mentions of ptsd, angst, minor injuries

The ride was long they lived ways out from the city which would be a change of pace and scenery.

Simon was quiet through the drive the silence wasn't uncomfortable it was nice you found yourself dozing off here and there along the trip jostled awake by the sudden bumpiness of the road glancing out of the window to see you were pulling up into a gravel drive way.

You grumbled quietly mainly out of tiredness you caught Simons eyes in the car mirror checking up on you as he parked.

"You can head inside out of the rain I'll grab the bags." Simon said as he promptly got out of the car with his own umbrella.

You quickly did the same heading over to the house where a cat waited behind the glass door seeing you it left.

Aw.

The door opened luckily it was unlocked as you stepped inside wiping your feet off on the mat setting your dripping umbrella into the umbrella holder nearby awkwardly shifting around as you stepped into the short hallway glancing around at the pictures on the walls as you made it to the living room the house was quiet aside from the movement upstairs which you could assume was possibly John.

You felt increasingly awkward as you glanced around flinching once the door opened once more Simon coming in holding both your bag and suitcase gently brushing past you as he sat them next to the stairs glancing back at you.

"You can sit anywhere you'd like" He hummed as he headed upstairs and so you did that sitting down on the couch as you slipped your phone from out of your pocket it was a bit cracked but it worked.

You eventually heard footsteps coming down John coming into the room with the grin you remembered.

You found the mohawk funny.

"It's nice ta' finally have you here!..I made some food so you can eat if you want or If your tired yer bedroom is upstairs first on the right its bare bones for now since we didn't know what ye'd like to decorate it with."

His accent was funny.

Oh you should answer.

"Uh um.." You just mumbled which got you a confused look with just made you tense which he noticed.

"Oh ah sorry forgot to mention- Cant hear very well out of my right ear n all supposed to be getting a new hearing aid soon So you may need to shout ever now and then—"

"I'm uh kind of hungry." You spoke up a bit more which John luckily heard this time

"Oh! Good Ah didnae waant the food tae git tae cauld even if its just sandwiches."

This wasn't as awkward as you thought it'd be.

You had eaten chatted up with John a bit more he was a nice guy a lot more talkative than Simon but you knew that from the interviews.

Simon had come down as well not without John badgering his to sit down something about his leg and medication you weren't too nosy.

He'd seemed to be getting the dog situated as he brought her down Riley was her name wasn't it?.

She was a German Shepard you thought as you stretched out your hand towards her with a glance at Simon she sniffed it before licking your hand you guess it smelt like the deli meats from the sandwich.

You scratched behind her ear as her tail wagged.

You'd put up with the awkwardness of adjusting to here for the dog.

Simon and John started talking about something as you pet Riley the rain hadn't really let up and began to pour down a bit harder thunder rumbling out as John mumbled something to Simon the man getting up with a grunt and headed back down the hall.

"He's just going to check if we have lanterns in case the power gives out." You flinched as John spoke you didn't even realize you were staring where Simon had left you just nodded.

"You can go up to your room y'know still early in the day plus so you can unpack and unwind n' all." John glanced at you as he spoke you just nodded again maybe too quickly getting up Riley leaving your side and heading down where Simon had went.

You felt nauseous laying in bed so many things running threw your head.

Also there was a cat on your bed.

You were pretty sure this was Old man, The gruff appearance and the near mustache and beard combo look in his fur fur and the greying hairs.

You held you hand out for him to smell and he just looked at you with near human unamusement.

You pulled your hand back and went back to thinking.

Right.

God what were you thinking about even?

These are good people.

This room is good.

This house is good.

The animals are better.

Why do you have to start spiraling now? Always sinking yourself into doom spiralling.

Hypothetical's that made no sense as the storm just picked up outside.

You grumbled as you got up and started to search through your suitcase Old man had hoped down to watch you as you swallowed trying to ignore the nauseous feeling your now sweaty hands find your medication.

You fumble with the cap always forgetting how to open it before you finally pop it off and dig out a couple of pills swallowing them dry even if you know you shouldn't.

You just tried to focus on not hurling on your new floor taking deep inhales as you shakily dug your fingers into the carpet below sniffling.

Fuck.

a/n: idk why i had to leave on a sad end ALSO I LIED ITS GETTING MORE PARTS

#cod #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #soap cod #ghost cod #soapghost #child reader #platonic relationships #platonic love #familial love #fanfic #reader #gn reader #no use of y/n #dad simon riley #dad john mactavish

[evilminji]

The House of Mysteries is Arguably Sentient Right?

(O.O ) I sit here... contemplating the... WEIRD Ghosts Danny might come across. The true Haunted Houses. Planets. Theaters. Boxes bigger on the inside. Living ships and A.I.s, Etc.

All things can die. If the house of mysteries is someday utterly destroyed? Is that not death? If the Planet and Green Lantern Mogo is broken to pieces like non-sentient Krypton was, has he not perished?

Do they not stand equal chance of become Ghosts?

Are.... Are Haunts even created? Or are they a symbiotic ghost relationship? The dual fulfilling of Obsession. A house, properly haunted and taking care of someone. And a Ghost, watching TV or organizing stamps or living out the fantasy of their Perfect Life.

All behind purple doors.

Houses are demolished all the time. Or lost to war or disaster. An old enough house? Enough people living and dying in it? Could arguably start to accumulate ectoplasm. Become, not sentient, but a touch more. And in dying? Like any animal, leave behind that Idea of who they were. That ALMOST and Instinct.

Certain places though? That are alive? That have seen far too much death? They seem to carry over. Castles and long burned libraries, coliseums, and frozen hills. The places life was lost, over and over or all at once.

Floating islands from long dead planets.

I bet we could find Kryptonian flora on some of them. If we looked in the right area. It must be a strange mix. Down right bizarre. Facing just about anything and wondering if it's sentient.

With Ectoplasm? It could be.

But at the same time? Imagine the RELIEF? Of, after the stress and fear of dying, waking up CHANGED, somewhere new and alone... searching desperately for something, anything, to ground your self? The relief you'd feel... when a door seems to drift right into out of nowhere. Just? Gentle bonk.

And yeah, it's purple. Looks like every generic door that's ever been. But? It has this VIBE. Like you're staring at the door to your first shit apartment, but it's YOURS and YOU paid for it and you're... you're home now. You open it.

And it's like some crammed every inspo board you ever had and all the parts of every room you ever loved, together. Familiar, new, and best of all? NOT a vast swirling green void. You drift inside.

If you're like so many ghosts? Probably never leave. Why would you? It's spooky and loud and crazy out there. Everyone's nuts. In HERE it's nice. No fights, art and food the way you like it, time feels muted and far away...

You only really snap OUT of your happy Vibe Sesh with your House Haunt when someone intrudes.

There us probably a whole flip side of the Zone that we never really see. Haunt politics. Competition for the really GOOD Ghosts. Haunts that don't want a ghost because they are waiting for somebody who may or may not come.

Other fuckin MOGO'S. Seriously. Sentient planet. That may be rare, may even be the sole example IN THEIR UNIVERSE, but the Zone is Multiversal. Literally Infinite.

Which means there ARE at least a handful or more of SENTIENT PLANET GHOSTS. How do you?? Cope? "Oh this is my buddy, the PLANET EARTH." But possibly BIGGER.

Fuck that's a lot of Ectoplasm. Thank Zone their Obsession's are usually "Be Prosperous Planet" and "orbit and protect this Star, which is sentient and my frient".

Oh? They forgot to mention the SENTIENT FUCKING STAR? As in giant ball of fire and death? Whoops! :T

Don't worry! THEIR Obsession is their planets! It's a full circle thing. Just leave that little system alone and they won't annihilate you and everything you've ever loved! Easy.

Lookin a little pale there, your Majesty. You need to lay down?

(And to think, all this... because Pariah's Castle got into a literal land war with other castles over who gets the New King.)

(Accusations of being a Greedy Bitch were thrown. Suggestions to Get Good and stop being A Loser Crybaby were offered. Somehow, there were cannons? Danny is still unclear but has been told under NO circumstances is he to step foot in ANY ghost building until mediators can be brought in. It could be seen as declaring a preference.)

@hypewinter @hdgnj @ailithnight @nerdpoe

#dpxdc #dcxdp #ghost buildings #what ARE haunts? #haunted houses #pariahs castle is a dramtic asshole #theyre also a bitch #its why Pariah liked them #the other castles dont have to stand for this! #local observatories are suggesting maybe the king wants some nice STARS #words are being thrown #and chairs #your architectural designs are GAUDY and no one likes you! #gasp! take THIS! #cannons go brrr

[yjhariani]

Since the fast has just started and I’m obsessed with your Muslim ghosts au , I was just thinking about ghost and reader breaking their fast together

Iftar date with Muslim!Simon? Yes, please.

Frankly, when Simon said that for once the two of you should both go out for iftar, you thought he would just take you to a restaurant.

The journey started with a motorcycle ride. Instead of towards the places you both would usually go for dinner, he drove somewhere more serene. He took you somewhere with fewer people and more trees. You both eventually reached a higher altitude.

No matter how many times you asked where you were going, Simon gave you only a response, but not an answer. You’ll see. Or Just wait. Or We’re almost there.

Simon eventually stopped atop a hill. He turned his engine off and without getting off the bike, offered you a hand to help you get off the bike. Once you did, you removed your helmet and put it on the backseat of the bike.

Whilst Simon got himself of his steed, you looked around the rocky plateau area where you stood. It was spacious and it served quite the scenery. The sun was in the process of retiring into the nearby lake.

“Mind giving me a hand, love?” Simon asked.

When you turned to face him again, Simon was getting some stuff out of the saddlebags. Thermos, food containers, a blanket, and more.

From there, the two of you set up a little picnic area. Simon started a small campfire and soon enough after, the two of you sat next to each other, facing the sunset. Steaming tea had already been poured out of the thermos, food was readied, prayer mats were available nearby for later, a lantern was set aside in case of need.

Simon took his phone out and glanced at the time.

“Two minutes to go,” Simon said. “We should probably check where the qibla is as well.”

“We’ll pray here as well?” you asked, rather excitedly.

“We could probably find somewhere indoor if you want that,” Simon said.

“That’s probably going to push it so close to Isya,” you said. “This is nice.”

“Yeah?” Simon said.

“Yeah, I can’t believe you’re doing this,” you chuckled.

Simon only looked at you for a moment, a thin smile on his face. He, then, looked back down to his phone.

“It’s this way,” Simon stated, facing a direction.

With so, you rotated the folded prayer mats to face that direction.

“How many minutes left?” you asked.

Simon glanced back at his phone briefly.

“Still two minutes,” Simon answered.

“It was two minutes some time ago,” you said.

“Still two minutes,” Simon repeated, shrugging, looking at his phone as the time finally shifted. “One minute now.”

“One minute,” you nodded.

“Less than,” Simon said before gesturing at the sun that was almost completely swallowed by the lake. “I mean, we’re also witnessing Maghrib in real life.”

“Waiting for Maghrib while watching Maghrib,” you concluded.

“If we’re in Morocco we’d be in Maghrib as well,” Simon said.

“Like the same word?” you asked.

“Yeah. Maghrib means something that’s related to west, I think. Morocco is in the western part of the continent, sun sets in the west,” Simon explained.

“Ah, I see,” you hummed. “Morocco and Maghrib is kinda far, though.”

“I believe the word Morocco came from the name of a city there called Marrakesh,” Simon said.

“Oh, that makes sense,” you commented.

Just then, both of your phones went off, alerting that it was time for iftar. After turning them off, you and Simon looked at each other.

“Let’s just wait a bit more, just in case,” Simon said.

“That’s what I’m thinking,” you said.

However, Simon still handed you a cup of tea that you both prepared earlier and held the other in his hand. After a moment or two, you both started breaking your fast.

“You know,” you said after your first sip, “if we camp, we could do this for suhoor as well.”

“You actually wanna do that?” Simon questioned.

“Only if you think it’s a good idea,” you said.

“What if I told you I brought a tent?” Simon asked.

“No way,” you scoffed before gesturing at his bike. “I know that a tent won’t fit in those bags.”

“I said what if, love,” Simon said.

In response, you playfully shoved him.

“Fine,” Simon said before he picked up a datefruit. “It’s a date, then.”

“I broke my fast, I could curse you out right now, Simon,” you pointed out.

Simon huffed out an amused air.

#simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley #simon riley #ghost

[gold-rhine]

You know, now that I’ve played the event I think Ayaka’s skin is revolutionary actually. Like, all skins before are pretty basic in conception and smth you could reasonably expect to see a character wearing. And it had to be tied to the event storyline, which also seems pretty limiting.

Like, Keqing and Ning got fancy new dresses for the Lantern rite, completely normal. Jean and Barbara are on summer islands vacation, they get summer swim suits, okay. Diluc got his old batman costume out for a ride, sure. Fischl is cosplaying her fav kinnie character, Lisa has a sumeru scholar uniform, nothing unexpected.

But like, Ayaka is cosplaying a French Nancy Drew because she was supposed to fight in a ritual dueling event with religious connotations, but the votes got mixed up with some manga popularity polls??? Like if THAT’s a valid reason for a skin, then ANYTHING is. Do u guys get it, EVERYTHING is on the table now, no matter how bullshit and the timing doesn’t need to make any sense.

Like you might expect a Hu Tao ghost skin on Halloween, given the spooky associations, but no, it’s Ayato dressed as a Dracula bc he’s doing some party for cultural exchange or whatever. He has an enormous cravat, purple cape and instead of boba, he’s drinking red wine from a fancy goblet, but still with a straw and he’s still slurping.

Heizou has to conduct an investigation on the cat island in a cat island event which you KNOW is coming one day, that’s too marketable to pass up, and you know how he likes to dress up to ~blend in~ with locals, so boom – Heizou in a catboy outfit. He’ll look super cute and can you imagine how funny his punching combat animations will look

I know we all want Venti’s whore Archon skin, but like no, there’s a Mond event where they celebrate Barbatos and they make Rosaria to dress up like his Archon outfit as like someone who will represent him from the church, but she makes it goth, so she looks like an undead fallen angel with black roses, dark feathers and shit.

Thoma seems like a no-brainer for a maid outfit, but he’s already a maid, that’s nothing new. Instead it’s Chide, bc he’s all about home and cooking and so on, but it’s the thriller movie maid, his outfit is just a little askew and ruffled and there are sus specks of red, and he has an idle where he twirls a huge bloodied butcher knife. His idle where he dramatically throw the scarf over the shoulder is changed for an animation of his just as dramatically fluffing up the skirts.

Beidou dressed as a sexy boxer bc she’s running some hand-to-hand combat event. Eldritch Kokomi skin after we finally get a new event in Enkanomiya. Alternatively, Enkanomiya event with Albedo since he got screwed over Dragonspine event this year, where he goes to investigate truth about ancient civilization and gets an ancient greek toga-inspired outfit, but sluttier. Lets go wild guys

#rhine talks #genshin impact

[lacyscabinet]

Write the most heart wenching Natalie one shot you possibly could ever write

Showcase your writing abilities 👀

No proper plot just make it super angsty... maybe reader dies in the end🙂

A/n: HI ANON ARE YOU OKAY? 😭 anyway, thank you so much for your request, hope you enjoy :) let me know if it's painful enough LMAOOO

Tw: sickness, reader dies!

The wilderness dance

Months and months had passed since the crash and yet, Natalie still didn't seem to forget about any single detail of that day, maybe it was her trauma or maybe she simply had way too much time to think. There wasn't much to do there other than trying to find food for the group out in the woods, making her way through the biting winds and frigid cold alongside Travis, their shared breaths visible in the icy air.

As the snow deepened, so did the challenges of survival. Natalie's days were spent navigating the treacherous woods, a dance of life and death with each hunt. Travis wasn't the best lately, too focused on finding Javi and forcing her to search and search for someone who, she thought, was already gone.

And just when she thought things couldn't get worse another silent struggle unfolded within the cabin. You, a soul caught in the icy grip of illness, grew weaker with each passing day. The others, sheltered beneath the same roof, watched as the flame of their vitality flickered in the cold winds of misfortune.

One evening, after a particularly long and exhausting hunt, Natalie and Travis walked back to the old wooden cabin. The wind blew on her cheeks making them sting, and as she reached for her neck to raise her scarf above her lips in an attempt to block out the cold, she noticed some leaves dancing around carried by the breeze, floating in the air almost trying to indicate her the way to the cabin, luring her in.

As she opened the rusty door, the other girls immediately looked in her direction, their eyes clouded with a mixture of sorrow and unspoken concern.

"Natalie, we need to talk," Lottie said softly from her spot in front of the crackling fire, her voice hesitant.

Natalie's heart pounded as she got closer to her, scared of what she was going to say.

"What's going on?" Natalie's voice trembled with a mix of anticipation and fear.

"It's about y/n" Lottie began, her eyes darting to the ground before meeting Natalie's gaze. "She has been getting worse... much worse."

A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the distant howl of the wind singing a melody for the leaves to dance to.

Without waiting for more, Natalie's instincts kicked in. She rushed past Lottie and the others, her heart racing, as if her very steps could hasten her arrival at the attic where you lay.

The room, dimly lit by a feeble lantern and a small fire the girls lit up for you to keep you warm.

"Nat," you whispered weakly as soon as you recognized her footsteps on the cracking floor, your voice a fragile, punctuated by fits of coughing that echoed through the small space.

Natalie knelt beside you, her eyes moist with a mix of worry and love. "I'm here," she whispered, taking your trembling hand in hers.

"I always feel better around you" you confessed, a faint smile playing on your chapped lips between labored breaths and coughs that grew more and more pronounced by the second, each one a painful reminder of your fragile state. Natalie stroked your hair and placed a cloth drenched in cold water on your forehead, trying to cool down your fever, knowing deep down that it wasn't helping much.

Natalie struggled to hold back tears, she had to be strong, but looking at you right now felt like staring at a ghost and she couldn't handle that.

She stood by your side for hours, just holding your hand and occasionally kissing your forehead, until, she saw the light in your tired eyes dim gradually to the point where even the smallest spark was gone.

"Promise me, Nat, you'll keep going" you murmured, eyes locking with hers for one last time.

Natalie looked down at you, tears streaming down her face "Don't say that" she almost begged, trying to pretend everything was going to be alright.

In your final moments together, the room seemed to hold its breath, as if the very air mourned the impending loss. Your frail hand clung to Natalie's, gaze pleading for a future you could no longer share.

With a final, raspy whisper, your breath faded away, leaving Natalie alone in the attic. The room, once a sanctuary, now echoed with the haunting silence of a love that had defied the frigid embrace of destiny. The wilderness, indifferent to your personal tragedy, continued its relentless dance with winter, leaving behind only the echoes of a love now lost to the unforgiving cold.

#womp womp womp #natalie scatorccio #yellowjackets #nat scatorccio #natalie scatorccio x reader #yellowjackets x reader #nat scatorccio x reader #yellowjackets x you #natalie scatorccio x y/n #nat scatorccio x

[piedpiperart]

Phantom of Gotham 18

Chapter 17

”I can’t believe you!” Tim exclaimed, punching Danny in the arm when he spotted him in class. 

“Ouch!” Danny laughed nervously, rubbing his arm. “You-”

“You could have told me you were leaving! Or at least talked to us about it first,”Tim said, exasperated. Danny watched him throw himself into the seat next to Danny dramatically and throw his bag down, only to dig through it for a tupperware of… oh, were those Alfred’s cookies? Danny hoped they were for him. Alfred’s cookies were awesome. “Now even Damian is bugging me about you and telling me to just take you home after school.”

“Uh, you guys did say I could leave and that you wouldn’t call CPS,”Danny reminded him, rubbing the back of his neck. Tim gave him a look, blowing some bangs out of his eyes.

“Yes. And we’ll stick to that. But you know we only said that because we’d hope to convince you to stay at the manor. Because we’re rich and we have an infinite amount of space for you to stay,”Tim stressed. “Seriously. Where are you staying now?”

“Not telling,”Danny deflected immediately. “You guys got a frickin’ vigilante working for you, I’m not a snitch.”

“That’s not-” Tim threw his hands into the air exasperatedly. “Fine! But only talkers get cookies,”Tim glared, sliding the tupperware of solid gold goodness away from Danny’s hands. Danny pouted, but didn’t relent. 

The day continued like that, with Tim trying to convince him to stay at the manor, while Danny deflected and changed  subjects like a bored teen changing channels on a tv. I was getting cumbersome for both of them by lunch though, and they’d settled for a truce. Danny ended up getting a few cookies while Steph joined them at the lunch table. She was soon cackling over the Waynes losing a potential adoptee and for Danny sneaking out. They high-fived. Tim was not amused. By the multitude of texts to Tim’s phone, the family wasn’t either. 

RobinHood

Went to the Pizzaria, kid’s stuff is gone. 

LittleJohn

Damn. I got nothing on my end. Any ideas?

RobinHood

Tail him after school

MaidMarian

You think he’ll notice?

LittleJohn

Well, he might if he’s got a ghost looking out for him Steph. We’re not sure where Phantom went the other day but we do know that Danny got out of the manor without triggering any security.

RobinHood

Plus Phantom is friends with Danny. 

MaidMarian

Eh, we can still try. Or just kidnap him as civilians (≖⌣≖)

LittleJohn

Eh… Maybe. Last resort.

RobinHood

I could just take him from school

MaidMarian

•̀ ᎑ -

LittleJohn

No!! That would be so much worse oh my god

Jason sighed at his brother’s lack of creativity. He’d thought the Pizzaria might have been cleared out but seeing it for himself still made his heart sink. If only there was some clues to where the kid had gone, he thought. No doubt he was anywhere but around Hood’s territory now.��

To be fair, he wasn’t nearly as worried about the kid now that he knew he had ghost powers that helped him survive. Still, Jason knew living on the streets wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Part of him thought that maybe the kid was scared that everyone hunting him would put the Waynes in danger. He wasn’t wrong to think that, but they could handle themselves. Sure, ghosts were a new thing for them, but they adapted. Made plans. 

Jason wasn’t sure they’d be able to keep Danny or Phantom in one place without using some kind of ghost technology like the GIW or call in a magic user. Except Jason didn’t want to think about having weapons that Danny’s parents made to hurt him. From what he could tell, ghosts weren’t as much of a problem to humans as humans were to ghosts. Jason didn’t need ghost weapons to deal with the GIW, and he sure as hell was gonna deal with them. 

The Bats had been gathering information on them like crazy. Babs was still hacking their databases and Batman was putting together a plan to inform the Justice League. They weren’t entirely sure this was something the Green Lanterns needed to take up to the OA, but if it was they’d cross that bridge when they got to it. 

-----------------------------------------

Damian was furious. 

He’d been texting Timothy nonstop about Danny and yet- unsurprisingly- his older brother had been unable to convince the boy to come back to the manor. Frustratingly, Timothy had not even responded to any of his text messages since lunch time and hadn’t come to the manor after school. Even Todd wasn’t answering any of his messages- plans- to convince Danny to join the family. It had been two days and Danny had still been staying who knows where. The family had not even tried to follow him home out of some misguided respect for privacy and free will. He was sure Danny was somewhere abandoned, likely somewhere lacking proper water and heat. Damian was beyond frustrated that all his hard work getting Danny used to a stable meal plan was for nothing. 

It was ridiculous how dumb Danny was acting in regards to his own safety. As one of the few species of half ghost around, he had the survival instincts of a paper bag, and Damian was of the opinion that he should be trying a lot harder considering his status. Damian had no idea why Danny would think they wouldn’t be able to protect and care for him at the manor. Obviously, Danny was an asset when it came to the Ghostly dimension given his halfa status and friendship with Phantom. There was no other reason why he wanted Danny to stay. It wasn’t like he missed the boy. Even if he was better than Timothy in every way, and had intriguing powers that he trusted Damian with. Not at all.

Damian scoffed, adjusting his tie for the third time. He didn’t want to go to this infernal Gala, especially when only Grayson and his father were attending. Cass was still in Hong Kong, and Jason and Timothy had other plans. Damian hoped those plans included getting Danny to stay at the manor. He would no doubt be a good sidekick for when Damian was older, and he would not be letting Danny slip through his fingers. 

“Are you ready Baby bat?” Grayson asked, a grin on his face and despite the formal wear, he’d somehow convinced Father to let him wear a glittery monstrosity instead of a tie. “There’s gonna be a few people B wants us to keep an eye on, wanna help me with surveillance?” Damian scoffed. “Why not. It’s not as if there will be anything else of importance going on,”He added. Grayson gave him a knowing smile, as if he was recalling just how boring and overly formal these parties were. 

“I’d say you get used to it, but…”Grayson trailed off, sighing dramatically. “Never do.” He shook his head, then they made their way to the front where Alfred and Bruce were waiting with the car. 

As far as Galas go, it was certainly not the most boring, but it definitely wasn’t providing any riveting conversations. As far as surveillance, Damian was able to trade off with Grayson during the night, switching targets and gleaming information as they went. It was no surprise that Mr. Elwood was simply in an affair than any nefarious business deals. Ms. Green on the other hand was definitely collaborating with some of the shader patrons in the Gala, whom Father suspected had ties to Penguin. 

Though, there was one target that Damian couldn’t get a read on. He was tall, haughty, and self-absorbed, yet according to B, had a perfectly clean multi-million dollar business despite multiple complaints and signs to otherwise. Damian in particular hated him on principle for the way he looked down on everyone around him. He ignored how hypocritical that statement might be and chose to eye the billionaire talking with his father. 

“As I was saying, my son Daniel reminds me a lot of your sons,”Vlad was saying to Bruce. He was wearing a gray suit with a black shirt and an annoyingly green tie. Damian was certain it was some type of football paraphernalia. “He’s very headstrong and independent for one. How do you deal with your sons when they refuse to listen to reason?”

“Oh?” Brucie said with an exaggerated confused look. He ignored the concerning question for now.“I was unaware you had any children.”

Annoyance and something else flashed across Vlad’s face before he schooled his expression to exasperation. Damian sneered at the man internally. “Ah of course, Daniel is technically my godson, but he’s like a son to me. We have a lot in common,”Vlad explained, a sneer suddenly forming and taking Damian by surprise,”At least more than his father has with him. Honestly, his mother could do so much better than that bumbling idiot.”

“Where is this Daniel then?” Damian cut in, garnering the attention of both men. Vlad seemed surprised to see him, if not a bit jealous. “If you are so close, how come he didn’t join you here?”

“I would have loved to have the little badger here beside me,”Vlad’s face twisted into something like sadness, but missed the mark. “Unfortunately, Daniel’s gone missing these past few months without so much as a word.”

Damian frowned as his father offered meaningless sympathies. Daniel? Vlad had been from Wisconsin, but he recalled the man having some sort of dealings in Amity. After a moment he remembered and scowled. This man was the Mayor of Danny’s town. He was the one who’d let the GIW in in the first place, surely. Looking up at the man’s false mask, set on gaining sympathy from his father made him light up with contempt. 

“Of course,”Vlad was saying when Damian started paying attention again.”I had originally come to Gotham to find him, you see. I’d heard something about him being spotted in the area and just had to check it out for myself.”

That was bad. If he was talking about Danny, then Vlad somehow had gotten ahold of information about his whereabouts. Who else had that intel? Was the GIW or the Fentons on his tail? Was Danny in danger? He quickly excused himself from the two adults and meandered over to his elder brother to relay the information. Hopefully they could get Danny to a safe location before something bad happened. 

Chapter 19

#my 9 key is so sticky aaa #phantom of gotham #dcxdp #dpxdc

[darth-mortem]

Here is the next text from my English lessons. It's about '22 Ghost and Soap who are inspecting an old creepy house. The names of Johnny's parents I invented myself. 1157 words.

“Where are ye taking me, Lt.?” Sergeant MacTavish asked, sitting in the front passenger seat of a duty SUV.

He and Lieutenant Riley had come on leave to Soap’s childhood town and stopped at his family house as usual. Johnny’s mother, Islay, loved Simon very much, and his father, Major Douglas MacTavish, had already gone hunting with the lieutenant more than once. However, this time they didn’t come for long, and immediately after dinner, Ghost dragged Soap into the car and drove him somewhere.

“Your mother told me an interesting story about your childhood.” Ghost said, looking at the navigator’s screen. “It’s about one old, scary house, which you and your friends were scared by. Islay told me that you’re still afraid of it.”

“It’s absolute bullshit!” Johnny shouted indignantly. “I’m nae afraid o’ anythin’!”

“Well,” Simon pulled over and killed the engine, “then it won’t be difficult for you to enter that house with me and inspect it from the basement to the attic.”

The sergeant rolled his eyes and got out of the SUV slowly. He walked around the car, stopped by Ghost, and took out his cigarettes.

“Let’s smoke, Lt.!” He said cheerfully. “This bloody house is made o’ wood, sae it’s nae safe tae smoke inside.”

The lieutenant nodded silently and took a cigarette. In his opinion, the reason wasn’t the fire hazard of this old building, but he didn’t focus on it. He stood, leaning on the bonnet, and looked thoughtfully at the house. It looked truly terrifying, not only because of the age-blackened walls and the dark hollows of the broken windows but also because of the collapsed roof and the crumbling left extension. The unpleasant feeling of grief, loneliness, and neglect was intensified by the twilight falling on the small Scottish town. There were lanterns on the plots to the right and left, but this house was plunged into complete darkness.

“Well,” Simon threw away the cigarette butt with a snap of his fingers, “it’s time to go, Johnny.”

“Maybe it’s better tae dae it tomorrow?” Soap asked with doubts. “It’s dark now. We’ll break oor legs in this ruin.”

“We won’t,” Ghost answered, opening the trunk boot, “because I took thermal imagers.”

He took out their helmets with night vision devices attached and handed the sergeant his one. Soap sighed heavily and, taking a cue from Ghost, put on his helmet and lowered the thermal imager over his eyes.

“Follow my lead,” Riley ordered, and went to the house first.

“Aye, Lt.” The sergeant got himself under control and started to move behind him.

They entered the house, and there was dead silence when the door had been closed behind them. There were ruins inside: rotten floorboards, cracked walls painted with lots of graffiti, the crooked interior doors were wide open, and directly opposite the entrance raised the ancient carved stairs to the second floor.

Simon and Johnny moved slowly and inspected all the first floor's rooms. The silence started to press on the sergeant’s ears very quickly, and he tried to start a conversation.

“Ye know, Si,” he whispered, “when ah was wee kid, this house was a test o’ courage fur all the wee jimmies in the neighborhood.”

“Why?” The lieutenant asked. “It’s just an old, dirty house. And why’re you whispering?”

“I dinnae know,” Soap blushed a little and started to talk normally. “Thare were rumors that thare was a ghost in this bloody house.”

“Well, now there is.” Simon laughed, and the shards of glass crunched under his feet.

Johnny rolled his eyes and headed for the stairs first. He was really afraid of this house in his childhood, but now he's no longer a little boy. He was the youngest soldier who has passed the SAS selection. He is a member of TF 141, the best unit in the whole fucking world. He shouldn’t be afraid of the old, abandoned house.

There were some weird sounds on the second floor. The weather was quiet, but the creaks and cracks were heard from all around Ghost and Soap. It was cleaner here; furniture, paintings, carpets, and tapestries were stored here. Johnny tried to stay close to Simon against his own thoughts of courage.

Sometimes they stopped when Riley wanted to inspect some kind of dresser or bedside table, but the sergeant could’ve sworn he kept hearing footsteps. However, Ghost didn’t seem to hear anything and didn’t pay attention to the fact that Soap was nervous.

Suddenly, there was a quick thump in the next room, and then something fell there and broke. Johnny, strained to the limit, involuntarily screamed, and then he didn’t realize how he found himself in Simon’s arms, tightly hugging his neck.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” The lieutenant asked angrily but continued to hold Soap in his arms.

“Whit wis that?!” The sergeant exclaimed and closed his eyes.

“It’s a rat, Johnny,” Ghost lowered Soap and set him on his feet. “And what do you think this was?”

“I dinnae know,” the sergeant said, opening his eyes and seeing a small red contour in the corner with his thermal imager. “Stupid bloody…”

“Enough,” Simon stopped him. “Let’s go.”

Fortunately for Johnny, they didn’t go to the attic because the ceiling had rotted to the point of having holes. But then Simon remembered about the basement door, so they went to the first floor and headed for it.

The basement was dark, stuffy, and reeked of rats, mold, and rot. There were an old boiler and a mutilated electrical panel. The mountains of junk hung along the wall with thesmall,l broken windows. Johnny followed Simon patiently until they reached the far end of the basement.

“Can we go now, Lt.?” He asked nervously and looked at Ghost through his thermal imager.

“What’s your problem, Johnny? It’s just a stupid old house.” The lieutenant looked at Soap in surprise and kicked the wall.

The old masonry crumbled, and together with the stones, the human skull and bones rolled under the feet of two soldiers. They froze, staring at their finds and at each other. Then Ghost turned back carefully and said:

“Let’s get out of here.”

It was quiet outside, but when Ghost and Soap left the house, the door slammed shut behind them, as if from the wind or someone from inside had pushed it hard.

“You know, Johnny,” the lieutenant said slowly, “maybe there really is a ghost here.”

On the way home, they stopped at a phone booth and anonymously reported the human remains to the police. And a few days later, while watching TV together with Johnny’s parents, they saw a story on the news about a terrible find in the basement of the old abandoned building.

“Is it that th’ house ye wur afraid o’ as a child, son?” Islay asked, looking at Soap. “No, maw,” he lied because he didn’t want his mother to worry, “it’s not.”

#call of duty #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #simon riley #johnny mactavish #ghost x soap #ghostsoap #soapghost #soap x ghost #ghoap #cod fanfiction #fanfiction #haunted house #soap cod #ghost cod

[fenricken]

DCxDP Week 2023 Day 2

Day 2: Danny Fenton | Full Hazmat AU | Fear Gas

Continuation of Day One

John was bored out of his mind, but he needed to pretend to be paying attention as whichever Green Lantern this was droned on and on about something Constantine didn’t care about. The Bat had been after him more often, asking him questions about Dani ever since they met in the House. John wasn’t exactly down with Batman investigating his kid, so he took to escaping as soon as the opportunity arose. Unfortunately, this just led to Batman trying to find him everytime John was in the vicinity.

The Green Lantern stopped for a questions, and John was ready to breathe a sigh of relief that it was almost over, when alarms started going off.

“Ecto-entity detected approaching Watchtower. Readying offensive measures.”

Batman pulled up the monitors, and John immediately recognized Dani in her ghost form.

“Shut down the counter-measures!” he shouted, Batman immediately backing him up to Flash, who turned them off. John and Batman rushed to one of the rooms with windows, hoping Dani would get the message and meet them where they were visible, ignoring whether or not the rest of the Justice League followed. 

As hoped, Dani phased through the window and rushed towards John.

“Dad! Dad! It’s Danny! He hasn’t been answering his phone, so I went to Metropolis to see Jazz, but she hadn’t heard from him either! So she’s going to Amity to see if she can figure out what’s going on and I thought, well maybe we need an adultier-adult but you’re the adultiest adult I know who can help!” Dani sucked in a huge breath when she had finished getting her words out in a rush.

“Alright, alright, I’ll head over there right away to look for your brother. But, I want you to stay out of there, love do you hear me? I know you’d want to help your brother, but if something’s gone topsy-turvy in a ghost way we need you to keep your distance so you’re safe, yeah?”

“She can stay up here.” Batman grunted. “I’ll go with you, and we can keep her updated.”

Dani looked hesitantly over at the other heroes before looking back at Batman. “You’ll give me updates the whole time?”

“Hmm” Batman grunted, giving her a slight nod.

“Ok…”

Seeing she was prepared to stay at the Watchtower, John turned to Batman. “Let me get some anti-overshadowing spells on you, just in case, then we can head out.”

—

“I got eyes on the last lab technician, looks like he’s just about to leave and then we should just have to worry about the guards.” Red Robin reported to his teammates. Impulse was bouncing around impatiently, while Superboy was using his enhanced vision to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Wonder Girl was sitting closer to their chosen entrance, keeping an eye out for anyone who might spot them when they enter.

They had been casing out the DEO facility ever since Secret told them she suspected they were holding an entity hostage again. She had sat this mission out, but the rest were ready to get the drop on the facility tonight and rescue anyone that might be being held captive, as well as figure out which organization the DEO was apparently collaborating with.

The group began sneaking their way towards Wonder Girly, who was now holding the roof-paneling up. They dropped down into the empty warehouse’s rafters, keeping silent so as not to alert the guards that were patrolling the inside.

“There, far corner, just like RR said,” Impulse pointed to a door that was guarded by two men. Every other guard was occupied with patrolling the warehouse. The team steadily made their way towards the door, keeping quiet, but moving quickly.

Once they reached the door, Red Robin noticed a grate at the same level as the rafters, which seemed to lead directly into the next room. He silently pointed it out to his teammates, who exchanged confused looks with each other. They decided to risk it anyway, if it meant they could avoid having to take out the guards at the door.

The crawled through, and landed in front of a containment unit filled with gas. Red Robin and Impulse immediately headed towards the computers to get any information they could about what was going on, while Superboy and Wonder Girl took a look around the rest of the lab to figure out if they could find whoever Secret told them about.

Red Robin finally spoke, breaking the quiet. “It looks like they were experimenting with the effects of fear gas on…something. I think I can siphon the fear gas on the containment unit.

“Well, do it.” Wonder Girl said, as she and Superboy turned to face the containment unit.

Red Robin clicked a couple buttons, and the four teens gathered around to watch the gas siphon out of the containment unit, revealing a small figure lying prone on the floor. 

“I think it should be safe to go in now.” Red Robin said. Impulse and Superboy were already figuring out how to get the chamber open. As soon as the door opened, Wonder Girl and Superboy approached to pick up the child.

He had white hair, and they could see green lights below his eyelids, though they never opened. His breathing was shallow, and his heartbeat slow.

“He’s so tiny… He can’t be older than 5 or 6.” Superboy said, making sure he was settled properly in Wonder Girl’s arms.

“Let’s get out of here, quickly. I’ll set charges to blow up everything, and Impulse can help me get out.” Red Robin said, indicating the vent again.

“On it.” Superboy and Wonder Girl crawled through the vent again, making their way across the rafters to their initial entry point. Red Robin and Impulse followed soon after, and they left together as a team.

When they were a few rooftops away, Red Robin triggered the charges, and they watched the facility go up in flames.

“Mmmm… Where a’ I..?” They turned to face the kid, who was staring at them sleepily.

“Hey, you’re alright. You’re safe now.” Superboy told him. The boy didn’t seem to register the words, and fell back asleep.

“We should get him back to the Watchtower now.” Wonder Girl said. The team quickly made their way to the zeta tubes, and to the medical section, where the boy was taken for observation.

Secret approached them as they were watching the medical team take stock of the boy. “Thanks,” she said. They all turned in silence, to watch as doctors and nurses rushed around, taking the boy's vitals.

“Of course.”

A/N:

Was more tired than I though, lol, took way longer than expected to finish this.

Still hoping to get at least one more day's prompts in to continue this, but don't know if I'll continue using dpxdc week prompts to finish the story

#dpxdc week 2023 #dpxdc week #dpxdc #dc x dp

[racfoam]

Muggle Halloween Edition with Old Man Muggle Serial Killer Voldy +Female Harry + Cute Teddy!

Happy Halloween! 🎃👻🍭🍬

***

Teddy was dressed as a ghost, with holes cut in for him to be able to see through the sheet, while Harry was dressed as an elf from Lord of the Rings. They stopped in front of the biggest house — it was a manor, really — in the neighbourhood, entering through the yard. Teddy was still standing outside of the yard. Harry didn’t know ghosts could be scared. “Come on, Teddy, you're with me, Voldemort won't hurt you. He’s just grumpy.” “He threw a brick at me once.” said Teddy. “Yes, and I went to yell at him. It's how we met.” Teddy whimpered. “We got enough candy... let’s go back.” Harry gave Teddy a dubious look. Their jack-o-lanterns were not full yet. Halloween isn’t a success if the lanterns aren’t filled with candy. “He has Mars chocolate bars.” said Harry. Teddy suddenly turned all his attention to Harry. Mars chocolate bars were his favourite. After another whine, Teddy gathered his bravery, and ran onto the lawn, grabbing tight onto Harry’s hand. They looked like an elf and a tiny ghost, painting a rather sweet picture. “There you go!” praised Harry, beaming, squeezing Teddy's small hand reassuringly. “Now let’s go bother Voldemort.” They climbed the porch, and Harry rung the doorbell. Teddy was holding her hand so tight Harry started worrying the blood flow was going to get blocked soon. There were footsteps, and then the doors opened. Voldemort, grey-haired, frowning and absolutely grumpy, was on the other side of the doors, his grey eyebrows set in a deep frown. “Trick or treat!” said Harry and Teddy. If anyone looked scary in that moment, it was Voldemort.

“Harry,” said Voldemort. “You’re too old to be dressing up.” “I’m twenty. And it’s for Teddy! Look at him! Isn't he an adorable baby ghost?!” cooed Harry, tapping the white cloak where Teddy's head was. “Mr Voldemort is in a costume, too!” said Teddy, lifting his ghost-cloak arm to point to the elderly man. “He’s playing a killer, Harry!” Teddy was right.

Voldemort was holding a prop knife, stained with blood. He must have used some ketchup, because there was blood on his light blue dress shirt, too. There was a scream from inside the house. “And he’s watching a horror movie!” said Teddy brightly, slowly losing his fear. “Woah, nice use of ketchup for blood. It looks real.” said Harry, impressed. Voldemort blinked, as though surprised. “If I give you candy, will you leave?” “Depends how much candy you give us.” said Harry smartly, with Teddy nodding. Voldemort disappeared into the house. The movie was now playing a man sobbing. Maybe Voldemort was watching Saw. Voldemort returned from the darkness with bags of candy and Mars chocolate bars. He dumped them all into Teddy's jack-o-lantern, and when Teddy's was full, he dumped the rest into Harry's, filling hers up as well. “Woah, thanks!” said Harry, beaming. “Anything for a little ghost and a beautiful elf.” said Voldemort. Harry felt warmth blossom on her cheeks. “Teddy, say thank you to Grandpa Voldemort.” “Thank you, sir!” chirped Teddy. Voldemort nodded. “Well, I need to get back to the movie... Enjoy the rest of your night. Happy Halloween.” “Thanks! Happy Halloween!” chirped Harry and Teddy. Voldemort closed the doors, and Harry and Teddy whooped, running down the lawn, celebrating their lanterns finally being full.

#tomarry #tomarrymort #harrymort #female harry potter #muggle au

[strangemaleswaps]

Strange Halloween Head Swap

I was so psyched for Halloween this year because it was the first time I could spend it with my boyfriend, Julian. I'd never been a big horror guy myself, but he goes nuts for spooky thrills. I'd always wanted to go to one of those Halloween events, like haunted houses or corn mazes, and I thought being with Julian was a good enough reason to go. We were looking up events happening nearby on my laptop, and I thought I found a cool one.

"Let's see." Julian read the website.

"What's it say?"

"Haunted house. Ooo! Haunted corn mazes. Nice! Magic show. Magic show?"

"I love Magic shows!"

"I guess it could be a Halloween thing. Wouldn't be surprised if they just replaced the rabbit in a hat with something scary instead. Or maybe the assistant wears a ghost costume or something."

"But wait." I pointed at the bottom of the page. "It says absolutely no costumes are allowed. Aren't you supposed to wear a costume?"

"Yeah, for costume parties and trick-or-treating and stuff. But for things like this where they have paid actors and stuff in the haunted events, they don't want randos in costume, in order to keep up with the vibes."

"That makes sense." I noticed another part of the website that said "18+ only for the whole event."

"Ooooo," we both said in unison.

"That better mean they have strippers and vodka."

"Hell yeah!"

"Now where is this again?"

"Lemme see. Some place called Caneville." He looked up the town info. "Aw shit."

"What? Too far?"

"No, just a 30 min drive. But it's got such a tiny population that it's probably one of those hick towns. You know those places always give me the creeps. Like everyone seems to stare at you because you're an outsider."

"But don't you like creepy things? We can ignore the background of the town and enjoy the festivities." I kissed him.

"Hey, I guess. Sure. As long as you promise me one thing..." He placed his hand on my bulge which had now grown.

The 31st arrived, and so we got dressed and left at 3pm. The drive there was pretty normal, up until we reached the town. There was an unexpected amount of traffic leading into the town itself. As we continued along, we found that all the cars were headed to the festival.

"Woah, I didn't think it would be this packed!" Julian said excitedly.

"Me neither…it's weird though. Why would such a large number of people be coming to some small-town festival? It doesn't make sense."

"Dunno. Maybe they paid extra to get their event on the top of everyone's search results? I think you can do that."

"Maybe. Well, it better be good then."

Luckily, we found a parking spot in time, before too many people showed up. The place was pretty big and was decorated nicely for Halloween; jack-o-lanterns lined the fences, ghost shaped lights hung above us, and the grass was covered in hay. We noticed the sign advertising the magic show started at 5pm, so we checked out the other attractions first. Making our way through the crowds, it was somewhat obvious who was from this little town, and who drove here. There were people in all shapes and sizes, but a lot of the older people were wearing formal clothes and usually had grumpy looks on their faces - probably upset that there was so much diversity this year.

We were walking along, when we saw two punk guys, one with a red mohawk, and one with brown, searching around looking confused. Red mohawk made eye contact with me and approached.

"Hey, do you guys know where the free booze is?" He didn't even look old enough to drink but I didn't really care.

"Free booze? How come I didn't know about this?" Julian asked.

"What do you mean? It was in huge letters on the ad. Couldn't have missed it."

"I don't remember seeing anything like that though," I said. 

"Damn, nobody else seems to know either. Did I get some fake version of something? Everything else seems legit."

"That's weird yeah."

"Anyway, I'm Ian. Let me and my buddy know if you ever find the free booze. Fuck, I forgot I was gonna meet my boyfriend here too. Shit, well catch you later." He seemed like such a weird guy but hey, he's probably just 18 and desperate for a chance to drink.

5pm arrived and we headed to the magic show. As we expected, there was a pretty big crowd. I was so excited though, and it looked like everyone else was too. It started when a chubby guy in a tuxedo walked on stage.

"Friends and folks, welcome to The Great Guillermo magic show! I am the Great Guillermo!" He took a bow, and everyone applauded.

"Now for my first trick, I will make this sword float!" He took out a sword and set it on the floor. It began floating all the way up to his head when he did some hand motions. The crowd cheered once again. It was glowing blue as well, which was strange because he didn't announce anything like that.

"For my next trick, I will need one volunteer from the audience." The crowd seemed hesitant, most likely because the idea of a sword related trick would make some queasy. Luckily, after a bit, a guy around my age raised his hand and stepped onto the stage.

"All right! What is your name, young man?"

"Tyler."

"Ok Tyler! For your part, stand in that spot real good and don't move!"

"Oh ok." He did a bit of a nervous laugh. The Great Guillermo took the sword and aimed it at his own neck. What in the world was he doing? It started glowing blue once again and went through his neck! The audience gasped. I knew it was all a trick, but I expected blood or something. Instead, what happened was unbelievable. His head hopped right off his body! Completely still alive, it fell to the floor and the body took a bow. The crowd went wild.

"Holy shit man, that was so cool! How’d he do that?" Julian turned to look at me.

"I have no idea!"

Normally with tricks like this he would go back to normal to start the next trick, but he was still a head and began talking again.

"Now this is only the first part of my trick. Here comes the part where my volunteer must help." His body, still moving on its own, took the sword and aimed it at Tyler's neck. When that blue glow returned, The Great Guillermo's head hopped over to the left of Tyler. In an instant the sword sliced Tyler's head off, just like it did before. Though, instead of hopping off and hitting the floor, it seemed to fly off in the direction of The Great Guillermo's body, as if it was a magnet. When it got to the neck, it plopped itself on top, replacing The Great Guillermo's head.

Tyler's head on The Great Guillermo's body was a funny sight, seeing a skinny and young-looking guy with such a large body. He began moving and reacting, as if Tyler was actually controlling it. Tyler's head looked down and widened his eyes at the sight.

"Woooahh, this is trippy!" The Great Guillermo's head did the same and flew onto the empty body like a magnet. The audience began laughing when they saw the full image. They just swapped their heads!

"This is even crazier; how did they do that? Man, I gotta know now!" Julian was getting so excited now. It made me so happy to see him in a good mood. Tyler, on his new chubby body, realized he could move his legs and started walking around.

"Oh wow, I can move? This is weird." It looked so real. But it must be fake right? I know a lot of times magic shows pretend to pick out a random audience member, but really it was all planned from the start. The mood changed a bit when Tyler started becoming restless.

"Hey, uh could I have my body back now? This is actually feeling kinda uncomfortable."

"Of course, my boy! Right after you learn your lesson!" 

"Lesson?" My gut told me that this was no longer part of the act.

"The lesson of hard work of course! I may have been a little overweight, but it's not impossible to work it all off! And when you do, it should be just like your former one! Well…maybe a bit older! In the meantime, I’ll be enjoying your nice slim body!" The Great Guillermo seemed like a completely different person at this point and began laughing maniacally.

"What? Hey this isn't funny anymore! What's your problem?!"

"Oh, don't worry, Tyler. You won't be alone. In fact," He looked at the audience with a gleam in his eye. "Everyone else will be starting their own unique journeys!" He quickly grabbed the sword and pointed it at the audience. They all screamed when not only did it start the blue glow, but it began multiplying as well! Sword after sword came out of the original; there must've been hundreds! It seemed like we all knew what was about to happen next, because the crowd turned around and ran. Julian was by my side…at least at first. Soon enough the stampede plowed through us, desperate to escape, and we were separated.

"Julian! Meet me at the car!" I screamed, not sure if he heard me or not. I ran away from the stage area, dodging unfortunate heads flying everywhere. The Great Guillermo began laughing again.

"Now everyone will learn the true value of hard work! Whether you want to change your new body or not, adapting to your new life is the fun part!"

When I got to the parking areas, I was shocked at the horrible sight. There were people with the same idea as me hiding in cars…only the blue swords were able to pass right through them to slice their heads. It didn't stop there because the decapitated heads seemed to be in an ethereal state, where they could also go through the walls. That bastard magician. He planned all this! I'm screwed! While I was in shock, I could feel something hit me in the neck. It didn't hurt at all, but I felt dizzy. I watched as the world went in a loop, and then back to normal. I could see myself flying through the air, but when I looked down, there was nothing. No body. I could still feel my hands and the rest of my body, but I was far enough away that I couldn't check to see if it was moving.

I couldn't change the direction I was heading in, but I could lean a little to the left or right. I'm guessing I was homing in on the nearest headless body, so I wondered if I could direct myself away from a bad one? I saw a headless body in front of me, so I jerked to the left and managed to dodge it…for a few seconds. It turned out there was a body on the other side of the fence I was on, so I flew right through it and attached myself to the neck.

I looked down and almost screamed. It was a fat body wearing a light blue dress shirt, with a tie and suspenders. I would imagine I was also wearing dress pants to go along with it, but I couldn't see past my huge belly! My waist size must’ve been double what it was before! Judging by the clothes, this probably belonged to a man that lived in the town.

I pushed my hand against the belly and felt it jiggle, sending vibrations throughout the rest of my flesh. I'm glad I wasn't a floating head anymore but I'm not too happy about being a fat guy either! I must’ve looked like Tyler did with his twink head on an obese frame. Luckily, there was a public restroom nearby, so I walked in and locked the door. I was scared to see myself in the mirror, but knew it had to do it, so I shuffled over to see my reflection.

Oh god, I was massive. It really did look strange, almost funny in a way. Normally when you gain this much weight, you also gain a double chin. But my chin and head were exactly how they always were. But yet, my body was huge. At least I wasn’t wearing some trashy looking clothes or something. Formal wear was nice, even though it felt tight on me. How do guys like this go shopping? I must’ve been wearing 5XL clothes! The curious thought of seeing what it looked like underneath crossed my mind. I guess it was going to have to be done eventually…and my chest felt like it was being crushed under the shirt I was wearing. I started by unclipping the suspenders. The front two were easy, but the back two I had to guide my hands around my oversized ass in order to make out where they were. Then I lifted my collar to take off the tie and unbuttoned the first two shirt buttons. I expected to be wearing an undershirt, since I felt so compressed, but no. The dress shirt was all it took to feel cramped. I reached for the bottom of my shirt that was tucked in and pulled up. When it was fully untucked, the belly promptly fell back down, slapped my thighs, and jiggled for a few seconds. Once it was all unbuttoned, I opened up the shirt and took it off.

Fuck. I wasn’t just big; I was morbidly obese. My man tits stuck out, love handles hung all around, and the loose skin left a crevice that covered my belly button. I really hated this. What’s Julian going to think? He might break up with me. No one would ever want to date a lardass like me. I put the shirt on, lifted up my belly in order to tuck it all back in, and walked out the door. I didn’t bother putting the tie and suspenders on again. I didn’t even need the suspenders anyway because my pants were tight enough over my big hips.

I started walking back to the festival area in order to find a clue to where Julian went. There were still blue swords flying around, but they ignored me completely. I guess they don’t go after those who had already been head swapped. Walking felt really weird because it was more like a waddle. Every step felt like I was causing an earthquake, which made it worse considering I couldn't even see my own feet! Not to mention I was sweating like a pig, even though I hadn't been walking long. I could feel the sweat stains forming in my armpits and since I had no undershirt on, it was probably obvious. I heard a familiar voice, so I turned around and noticed a familiar red mohawk. It was Ian! He was much chubbier than when I saw him before. He was talking with another guy, who lifted his t-shirt up to touch his belly.

"This is like a fuckin dream come true! Look at this gut!" Ian seemed excited to gain weight. Was that guy his boyfriend or something?

"We gotta hope that this body is good at staying big though! I want you to be my chubby bunny!" He said, flashing a grin. As I approached them, they stared for a second, but then smiled really wide. 

"Hey! Wait. You're that guy I met before. Remember? But you're like, so fuckin obese now!"

"Yeah…"

"That's awesome man!"

"Not really, I was fine being a twink before."

"Yeah man, but now you're a fuckin beast! You could like murder someone just by squashing them."

"I'll keep that in mind in case I need to murder someone," I said sarcastically.

"So, wait, where's your boyfriend?"

"No clue. I'm looking for him."

"Well good luck man. And hey, being big isn't all that bad you know."

"Yeah, maybe."

I got to the festival area to find a couple people still frequenting, but it was obvious they were head swapped. I suppose I was lucky mine ended up matching my skin color. At least the weird young head and old body combination isn't impossible naturally.

I noticed a shed area with a hastily made sign that said, "pick up your phones here." That was a good idea actually. Afterall, most people would've had their phones in the pockets of their old bodies. Maybe if Julian already found his, I can text him. Luckily, I skipped a step because I found him searching through the pile of phones inside. His body didn't look too different, at least from the sides.

"Julian!"

"Petey! You're…wow." 

"I know…this is going to take some getting used to."

"Hey no biggie. You're still you. You have your head at least. You're just a big guy now."

"Yeah, it's weird. Do you think there's any way to change back?"

"Don't think so. When I went back to the stage, the magician guy wasn't there. Fitting. Guess he just wanted chaos and well, he got it."

"Can't believe I'm stuck like this. But at least you don't look too different, maybe a bit bigger and older."

"Oh no, I've changed a lot actually. Here." He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a flabby old man's chest.”

"Oh."

"I know right. Looks like I took the body of an old guy."

"Does it feel weird?"

"Yeah kinda. A little uncomfortable. I really just need to take off these clothes. I can feel my underwear being pulled up way too high!" I laughed. I'm glad Julian was still finding ways to make light out of a bad situation. "My back does kinda hurt though. But it's ok! We'll just work out and all like normal. Plenty of old guys are in shape!"

“Makes me so mad though. Those old guys that got our bodies are probably enjoying their nice abs right now.”

“Well, in your case, he’s in for a surprise when he sees how loose you are in the back…” I started laughing again.

“You got that right! He was probably straight, so it’ll be quite the shock. But I guess this means I’ll have to start loosening up all over again.” I touched my huge ass. “I guess I’ll have to work out too. I have a long way to go.”

"Oor…you could stay like you are. At least for now. Didn't wanna say it before but I'm totally finding you hot right now. Never fucked a fat guy before."

"Really? You like this?"

"Yep! Hey, it's still Halloween, so how about we go home, and I can feed you some candy or something." The thought of Julian feeding me was making me hard for some reason. Why do I feel like I want to stay this big? It's crazy! But I was so hungry, so I agreed.

"That sounds…pretty hot actually. Sure." Julian smirked.

"Happy Halloween my big boy." He slapped my gut.

"Happy Halloween…"

#strangemaleswaps #body swap #head swap #weight gain #male tf

[ashisgreedy]

Richard Jackdaw xF!MC

“In Your Best Nightmares.”

Tags:Smut 18+ | Smut + Fluff | First Time Together | Sex | ‘Corporeal’ Jackdaw |

WC: 4,800

"If another ghost would dare to tell me he likes you, I'll have none of it; and, if a mortal man tries to steal you, I'll haunt his dreams."

"If you can haunt their dreams… then why don’t you visit me in mine?"

MC makes her way through the streets of Hogsmead delicately clutching a small parcel to her chest. Her feet pound the cobblestone as lanterns light her path back to her hamlet, a pleasant floral aroma wafting from the bag in her hands. She was two galleons lighter as she smiled into the night air, her cloak flowing behind her as her home grew in the distance.

“I got it!” She exclaimed, busting her front door open and yelling into the darkness.

She took a few deep breaths and watched the ghost of Richard Jackdaw float languidly down the short hallway from her bedroom.

“They had some in stock?” He smiled, nearing her with curious eyes. He looked down at the small bag in her hands and tried to take a whiff. He frowned when nothing accosted his senses.

“Yes! The shopkeeper said she had even more Blue Lotus flowers in case I wanted more later.” MC smiled and lifted her hand out to the apparition. It melted into his form as she gave him a wide smile. “She said it was guaranteed to produce results as long as I drank enough for my tolerance, that is.”

Richard moved toward her hand, as if he were leaning into her touch, and gazed into her wide eyes. “Well, this first night will be the test run, I suppose. We shall see how much Blue Lotus flower you must take first to induce lucidity.”

“Richard…” She took a deep breath and slid her fingertips in the air along his jawline. “I can’t wait. I want to take it right now and try to fall asleep.”

Jackdaw smiled and let out a small laugh “My dear, it is still early and you’ve yet to have dinner. Please, eat and go about your nightly routine as normal. Trust me, I won’t forget to remind you about the flower.” His hand moved to her face and she felt a tingle of ice race down her spine. It was a very welcome feeling and something she’d grown fond of since their ‘relationship’ had continued past graduation. She agreed and set the parcel down on her small dining table for now. 

Soon, the evening was in full swing. She lit the fireplace and cooked a meal for one in the kitchen as Richard made conversation. He watched her saute mushrooms over her shoulder. Telling her how he’d love to kiss her cheek at this moment, smiling pleasantly when she blushed.

Despite their relationship being full of “If I could’s” and “Where I able’s”, they’d managed a mostly ‘normal’ relationship in their eyes. Albeit, sometimes one or both were frustrated with their predicament, they still managed to work through it and continue in their blissful dream a bit longer.

The question “How long could this possibly last?” hung silently in the air, always unspoken but appearing as a look or even a gesture between them. It couldn’t end just yet, MC was sure of what she wanted. She wanted Richard for as long as they were both happy… or as happy as a phantom and a human could possibly be. Their relationship heavily weighted on emotional support between the two. Richard was her rock in any situation, happy or sad. They grew together and learned how to comfort one another with their words and fill the other's hearts despite touch and warmth being out of the picture.

Tonight's idea, however, could hopefully change their relationship in ways they’d only imagined. He made it known that an ability of his was to find himself in her dreams most nights. It took concentration and effort, but when he took the time to do so, he was able to witness her dreams as if he were part of it. MC rarely remembered her dreams, but one fateful night, when she’d gone to bed well past 3 a.m., she had a short lucid dream that caused something to change. She could see him clear as day, entirely human. She’d woken up, of course, and hugged her pillow tight as they both excitedly recounted their experience. They needed to try that again and for much longer than a few measly seconds.

When dinner was over, she entered her nightly bath. She poured copious amounts of lavender salts, and other calming herbs, to help aid her body in an easy and deep sleep.

Once she was dried off, she rubbed moisturizer over her parched skin and changed into a comfortable silk nightgown. Revisiting the parcel on the table, she peeled it open and removed three dried flowers.

“Starting out strong?” Jackdaw smiled from where he floated above the table.

“I don't want to risk it not working…” She added the fragrant flowers to a teapot and closed the lid.

“We have all the time in the world,” Richard reassured her. “We can try this every night, spirit willing.” He chuckled.

“And body willing,” She started a boiling pot of water on the stove. “I fear lucid dreaming may not be as deep of a sleep as I need… but I don’t rightfully care at the moment.” A grin split her face as all the possibilities filled her mind. They could be anywhere in reality and of their own creation bound only by their imagination. And, hopefully, they could do anything within those dimensions as they saw fit.

“You’ll care when your work suffers the next day.” He moved to the table and looked down at the book that started it all ‘Lucid Dreaming, The Induction Method.’ It was full of recipes and techniques to induce lucid dreaming in those who were unable to do so or didn’t have time to train their minds to do it naturally. The most promising method was making tea out of the Blue Lotus flower. It was known for causing Lucid dreaming and also a mild hallucinogen if taken in large doses.

“Depends on how good the dream is, I may have no regrets whatsoever.” She shot him a playful wink and brought the boiling kettle to her teapot and filled it slowly, making sure not to splash. “You don’t sound very excited.” She accused in a playful tone. She knew Richard well and his tendency to keep people, things, or ideas at arm's length until they proved themselves worthy of his time. This idea was no different. He wouldn’t be truly bubbling over with excitement until it was proven that it could work in the way they’d hoped.

“I am ecstatic, Darling. I assure you.” He gave her a small bow of his head. “I apologize if I don’t come off as such…”

MC watched the clock, waiting for 5 minutes to tick by for the petals to steep, as instructed by the shopkeeper.

“It’s alright, Dear. I know, in your phantasmal heart, you’re practically leaping for joy.”

With that, Richard's mood rose. “You’re smile is contagious as ever. Your excitement is my excitement. Tonight, we will meet each other in your dreams.” He reached out to caress her face, hand phasing through the skin.

She nodded, a surefire smile on her face as she waited for the minutes to tick by.

As the petals finished steeping, MC poured the lilac liquid into a mug. It smelled of honeysuckle and an assortment of fresh-cut berries. She blew on the steaming liquid and took a timid sip. “Mmm! Not bad!” She said, taking another larger sip. The tea tasted as good as it smelled and she had no trouble taking large gulps.

Richard grinned and crossed his arms. “Well, at least it's not repugnant.”

She pointed at him as if she agreed and took a few more deep gulps.

“Don’t drown yourself, Dear.” He shook his head, laughing a bit as she downed the rest of the tea.

“I will drink the second one slower.” She assured, wiping her mouth with the back of her arm. She poured the second cup of tea and held the mug in her hands. “Shall we be off to bed then?” She quirked a brow with a grin.

“We shall,” He offered his arm as a gesture to escort her to bed for the night. She happily pretended to take his arm and they walked down the hall to her room.

“The tea is making me feel a bit hot, I'm going to keep the covers off for now.” She took a large gulp of the tea and sat it on her bedside table.

“Where shall we try to go?” Richard floated through the room to the unoccupied side of the bed. “The book said, focus on a place until you can visualize it and allow it to build around you in your dream.” Richard sat on the bed next to her weightlessly.

“I was thinking, something as simple as just our bedroom?” She gestured to the familiar space. “I can easily visualize this. If this works, we can go to more complicated places next time.” She yawed, fluffing her pillow as she rested her head on it.

Jackdaw reclined back against the headboard with a wistful gaze. “Shall I sing you to sleep?” He jokingly offered.

“Oh god, no.” She laughed and lay on her side, facing him. “If I wanted to listen to a goose strangling itself, I’d go to upper Hogsfield.”

Richard balked at her comment. “Alright, Alright,” He laughed. “No singing then. Maybe I can tell you a bedtime story?”

MC yawned again and blinked her bleary eyes. The hot lavender bath and the tea settling in her belly seemed to be doing the work of making her whole body relax. She gazed out her bedroom window and focused on the twinkling stars in the night sky.

“I think I will be asleep soon, my dear.” She yawed again, kicking the blankets to the side. “Meet me in my dream, will you?”

“Of course, my love. I will be there.”

His smile was the last thing she saw before closing her eyes. Her breathing was steady and soft, as her whole body relaxed. Soon, she was slipping into the land of dreams.

Darkness prevailed as her mind floated in space. There was a whisper in the distance and MC blinked into the abyss. There was nothing but the void as she slowly became conscious of her surroundings. Another sound came from behind her and she moved her head.

“Hello?” She called out, her voice feeling inadequate in the vastness of the space.

“MC…” The masculine voice came again.

“That's my name.” She said straining her eyes to try and see anything from where the voice was coming from.

“Visualize! Remember?” The voice was closer. “Visualize the bedroom.”

She was confused and let the words wash over her. “The bedroom? What bedroom?" Her mind wandered.

“Visualize your bed.” The voice was right behind her. She spun again but no one was there.

The longer she was in that space, the more memories flooded into her head. She knew that voice. “Oh… right.”

“Remember? The tea? You’re dreaming.” Richard’s voice rang out from all around.

“I’m dreaming!” With her realization, the ground beneath her faded and she was falling. It didn’t feel scary to her, it was exhilarating as the butterflies swarmed in her tummy. She smiled and began to visualize her room. She pictured the bookcase in the corner, the lamp to her right, and the window showing off her small garden on the left.

Soon swirls of blue began to move around the edges of her vision. Her falling slowed to a hover and her room began to form around her. She visualized the navy blue bedsheets and the fuzzy plush carpet, her ceiling with one exposed wooden beam through the middle.

Before she knew it, she was standing in the middle of her familiar bedroom. Things were off, like a candle stick instead of a lamp. The bookshelf was empty instead of filled to the brim with collectibles and knickknacks from her adventures.

A knock came over the door and she flinched. She walked over curiously, feet sliding over the plush carpet as her heart raced. Who could be trying to enter her bedroom this late at night?

“Hello? Who’s there?!” She asked, hand squeezing the bronze knob.

“It’s me, darling.” Richard's voice was muffled by the door. “I-...” His voice trailed off. “It’s your boyfriend.”

Her mind snapped into place. Oh, she was dreaming, and she was lucid! Very lucid! She lifted her hands to her face and made fists. She had all 10 fingers and toes. She was MC, and this was a dream she induced herself. “Ha!”

She swung the door open and smiled at the man on the other end. He was devastatingly handsome, standing several inches taller than herself. His brown wavy hair was perfectly styled. He wore clothes that were several years out of fashion as he clasped his hands at his waist.

“Boyfriend?” She grinned up at him. “I didn’t think we had a label.”

Richard’s features were twisted with emotion as he reached out for her. “Would you like a label?” He asked, stepping closer and finally, finally, touching her face.

MC’s chest squeezed as she closed her eyes allowing the first feeling of his warm touch to wash over her. “Oh.” She bit her lip to stop it from quivering as he caressed her cheek. Not a single chill down her spine, nor an icy prickle on the back of her neck.

His hand moved through her hair and he looked every bit as misty-eyed as she was.

“Your hair…” He let it fall between his fingers “It’s so soft, like silk.”

She cupped his face, brushing a thumb under his eye. “You’re eyes are such a pretty shade.”

A warm smile grew over Jackdaw's face, his dark lashes fanning as he looked down at her hands cupping his cheeks. “I’ve never gotten that compliment before having brown eyes.” His voice wavered with emotion.

“There's a hint of gold flecks in the center…” She added, moving closer to take him into an embrace while still gazing into his eyes. They wrapped their arms around one another, pressing their foreheads together. Richard's hand ran up and down the center of her back, gliding along her silk night dress.

She drank in his corporeal features, very solid, and very vivid. His skin was pale, and smooth, with a single thin scar dashing through his right eyebrow. She smiled and lovingly rubbed the tiny blemish with her thumb.

He drank in a shaky breath “I just want to hold you for as long as I can.”

The bed springs creek under their combined weight as they settle into the mattress. Finally, Richard was able to occupy the empty space meant for him on their bed.

MC giggled, feeling his arms wrap tight around her and their legs twine together.

“It worked… it actually worked.” She whispered, unable to wipe the smile from her face. She played with a piece of his dark wavy hair as his large hand splayed over her stomach.

“It worked… I-I can’t even describe how I’m feeling at this moment.” His eyes looked between both of hers and then down to her lips. “I never want this to end…”

“We have all night…” She answers, leaning in closer to his face.

“I long to feel every bit of you, my love. I don’t want to stop until I’ve memorized every inch of your body.” He leaned in as well, taking a breath before pressing his lips to hers.

There it was, the spark… The spark she’d always known was there between them, waiting to be ignited. As their lips met in a new angle, fireworks went off in her heart. It was a profound understanding, a soul-deep knowing, that they were weaved for one another by something much greater than their minds could possibly imagine.

Richard's hand moved to hold the back of her head, holding her into his searing kiss. His brows were knitted, and she wondered if being here like this took more concentration than he’d previously led on.

“Richard,” She pulled away, worried he might disappear from the dream entirely if they kept on, but his lips slammed back into hers in an instant.

“I can’t stop, I’m addicted.” He spoke between kisses, slipping his tongue past her lips. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted since I met you.”

She welcomed it, wrapping her arms around his neck as he moved to hover over top of her. If he wasn’t concerned, she would not bear the worry as well.

His weight, his precious weight, pressed against her as his soft lips captured hers over and over. It wasn’t long before she was drunk on his kisses, sighing and breathing heavier than before. This was much better than the countless times she’d envisioned this moment.

His hair brushed her cheeks as he moved his lips down her jaw to her ear. He tugged on her lobe gently, nibbling over the cuff of the cartilage.

“Ah…” She let out a pleasurable noise.

“Hm… sensitive ears?” He whispered, running his tongue along the outline. “Let’s see what else I can get away with.” He teased, kissing his way down the curve of her neck.

She gasped when his lips lightly sucked the skin. “Oh… thats nice…” Chills rushed down her arm. 

He moved to kiss her shoulder, lips quirked into a small smile. “I want to know every part of you that makes you gasp, my Darling. So that I may kiss every one of those parts over and over until you are breathless and wanting.”

A sense of pride came over her realizing she made the impossible possible again. She wasn’t sure she’d share this new knowledge with others. Would there be many people who would have the need to touch someone who's long since departed?

His hands moved along her frame, touching every inch of her as he promised. He met her lips again while his hand squeezed her thigh. “Must I ask?”

“No, keep going.” She answered confidently. "And don't stop."

Smooth hands inched their way up her night dress and her heart hammered away in her chest in anticipation of his next move. Her hands moved up and down his back, gently rubbing and caressing him as their tongues mingled.

Their actions were that of two lovers separated for too long and finally coming together at last. Richard’s hands had not stopped, pushing her night dress up until her stomach was exposed. He broke the kiss, eyes connecting with hers. She felt weightless in the wake of his gaze, a look of adoration and starvation riddled his features.

“I love you.” He whispered, his warm hand cupping the side of her face. “I love you more every minute of every day and fall head over heels for you with every smile you give me.”

“Richard…” She swallows the lump that is growing in her throat. “I love you too, and in all things. I love and desire you the most.”

He smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners of the expression. “If I could grow old with you, I would. And if you want to live out a life with me in your dreams, I wouldn’t be opposed.”

They were both smiling now, hugging one another and squeezing tight. She memorized the full sensation of him in her arms, the weight of him pressed against her chest, and the softness of his waves tickling her skin.

“I don’t want this night to end.” The words Richard spoke hung in the air.

“Me neither.” She pulled back, pushing his hair out of his face. “I’m actually curious about some things…” She admitted.

“Such as?” His brow quirked playfully.

“I want to know what you like.”

Understanding washed over his features. “I want to know what you like first.” He kissed her jaw then her neck and that spot on her ear that made her squirm.

She laughed, but the sound quickly turned to a gasp when his lips latched onto the skin and lightly sucked. The thin strap of her nightdress was easy to slip down her shoulders. He stopped kissing her. “I want this off.” He indicated the night dress with a tug.

She nodded eagerly. He sat back on the bed, unbuttoning his shirt while she easily slipped the silk dress off and tossed it to the side. He stopped before he got to the last button and raked his eyes over her nude frame. Swallowing thickly, he pushed off his own shirt and moved to kiss from her neck down to her chest. His hands joined his expedition, moving to cup her breasts just as his lips found their way to them.

She touched his pale skin, nails scratching at his back the more pleasurable his mouth felt on her breasts. He took his time, his tongue sliding this way and that, moving in every way possible to find the one that made her moan the loudest. He was studying her body, needing to know precisely how she liked it to use that to his advantage.

Her fingers twined in his hair, pushing him gently to urge him to go lower. Not much else was needed to make Richard move lower. He was eagerly kissing a trail down her body to make it to his goal.

This was a new side of Richard she’d never seen, of course. Something swelled in her heart watching his never-before-seen actions play out in front of her. There was only so far fantasies could go, but they would never tell you the nuances of the situation. Before this night, she would have never known how his kisses left fire in their wake. How he hummed in pleasure after making her moan. Or how soft his tongue’s touch would be once he found her clit.

She fisted the sheets, legs trembling on either side of his body. Richard rested on his stomach, using both hands and his mouth to please her. One hand caressed her thigh, keeping it open enough for him to get close enough to pleasure her. His other hand ran up and down her slit, gently touching and caressing her most intimate parts while his lips and tongue focused on her clit.

His soft hums and delicate licks sent sparks through her body. It was easy to get lost and forget this was all one big lucid dream. The tea had made it feel extremely real. If it wasn’t for the small nuances that were different in the room and the fact her ghostly boyfriend was now a solid man, she could have easily been fooled into thinking this was reality. She tossed her head back wishing this could be her waking life as well. She was quick to bury that wish, replacing it with just being grateful for the opportunity they were given.

His finger slid inside her entrance, slowly moving in and out. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and held him there, silently begging him not to stop. Waves of pleasure washed over her skin. She wondered if this was how it would really feel or if the dream was amplifying the sensations. Her stomach muscles clenched, preparing for an eminent release. The excitement her body felt having her ghostly boyfriend now physically touching her built the pleasure faster than she was used to.

Before long, his two fingers were curling inside just how she liked it causing her back to arch off the bed. She moaned his name and he rewarded her with faster movements and gentle sucking. That was all she needed to skyrocket over the edge. Her body came alive. The room blurred before becoming solid again. She focused on his tongue placement, the feeling of his warm hand rubbing her thigh and on his other hand with two fingers stroking her inside while the orgasm rushed through her.

Once the release ended, Richard took his time kissing up and down her thighs. Her heart rate started to come back down slowly, but he remained low, kissing every inch of her skin. After a time, he made his way up with a trail of kisses, wavy brown strands tickling her skin as he did. It wasn’t until he got to her mouth that he spoke again. “I want you.”

“I want you too.” She replied. It was a breathless exchange as the couple turned to face one another side by side. His trousers were discarded along with any shoes and socks he’d been wearing. She kissed him passionately, hoping the sun was still hours from rising.

Richard’s hand smoothed down her back until he met her thigh. With a gentle pull, he hooked her leg over his waist and moved in closer. As their lips met in a passionate kiss, her fingers ran through his hair. She was still so surprised by how saturated the color was. His usual faded form washed out all his color making it difficult to visualize what he had looked like when he was alive.

It was slow and gentle the way he pressed inside of her. She felt full in an instant and grasped at his shoulder. He paused, gazing at her for a long moment. “Are you okay?” He asked, throat bobbing as he swallowed.

She nodded, forcing herself to take a deep breath. “Yes, yes.” She kissed his pale shoulder, trailing her lips to his neck. “I am perfectly fine.”

She felt him shudder when her lips trailed over his neck. She kissed the shell of his ear and noticed his breath catch. It was a delight learning all these new things about the man she’d been sharing her life with for years now. Her lips met the curve of his jaw before capturing him in another heated kiss.

Richard’s hand grasped her backside, bracing her body for his thrusts. Their moans of pleasure were muffled by one another's lips. He didn’t lose control, and, instead, went at a slow steady pace. The two’s skin began to grow clammy the longer they made love in her dream. She wondered for just a moment if her skin in the outside world was just as warm. His body, his voice, and his passion all washed over her and soon she was unable to think of anything else but how real this moment felt between them.

They lay like that for what felt like hours. The tea doing its job of keeping her deep in this lucid dream with her partner. The dream didn’t start to fade until the sun was already well into the sky. It poured into her room through the window overlooking her small garden.

Her focus faded from the dream and back into her lit bedroom. She rubbed her eyes with her hands and let out a yawn. Her lips instantly curled into a smile, and a profound sense of fulfillment and joy filled her chest. Her nightstand was decorated with her familiar lamp and abandoned cup of tea from the night before. She glanced over at the bookshelf that was now full again with all the knickknacks she’d acquired over the years. She was sure she was back in the waking world once again.

She turned over on the bed and noticed Richard’s translucent form resting next to her. His back was against the headboard, arms crossed and eyes closed as if he were sleeping. She could only imagine just how much concentration infiltrating someone's dream could be, let alone being an active member of it.

She swiped her hand through his form and he immediately roused, uncrossing his feet. His eyes fluttered open and a bigger smile than she’d seen in a while was plastered on it.

Despite not being able to hug him at this moment, she felt closer to Richard than ever. They easily slipped into a conversation about how the experience felt for them and what they’d like to try next time. Not even an ill word from her mother could wipe the smile off her face. Even if the whole world was against them and their unusual relationship, at least she knew that their love transcended the boundaries of life and death. Where there was love, there was a way, and nothing could take that away from them.

She would treasure every moment with him, in waking and in her dreams. There was nothing they couldn’t do despite it being unconventional. She thought about how they could arguably do more than a normal couple could making her deep sense of love feel even more nurtured and reassured. Nothing could keep them apart. Not time, nor space, nor death itself.

#richard jackdaw #richard jackdaw x mc #richard jackdaw smut #smutober 23